Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 11:27:51 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
  • Total Members: 37614
  • Latest: bondann
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772955
  • Total Topics: 66311
  • Online Today: 741
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 1
Guests: 456
Total: 457

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: Latest Labs and Question  (Read 2422 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tednlou2

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,730
Latest Labs and Question
« on: September 20, 2016, 12:52:17 am »
I don't know CD4 and and all that, because the patient computer portal won't show that.  They say it's for privacy, even though you can click on health issues and see HIV POSITIVE, but I digress.

So I started meds in January with Tivicay and Truvada.  For 7 years, my eGFR had been 99-110.  And it was that for all the labs I had this year.  I did blood work a week ago and it had dropped to 84.  For almost 8 years, it had never been below 99.  The normal on the lab reference says >59, for white males.  I'm confused by that, because I thought 59 would be bad.  I am concerned by this drop, since I've seen others start having drops that don't resolve and some that continue.  I have read some with kidney damage may not have it reverse.  I did just switch to Descovy about 2 weeks ago.  Just curious what others know about this and whether that drop should even be given a second thought?  I guess only time will tell whether this was a one-off lab.  And again, I'm curious what more experienced lab folks have to say.  I mean, it's well within the normal range on their lab, but also the first drop.  And many sites say normal should be 90-120. 

Also, I was asked to take part in a lipid study.  It was time for my lipids to be checked anyway, since it had been some time.  In the past, my cholesterol had been around 190 and triglycerides were like 250.  This was the case for years.  Well, I was surprised by the results.  My cholesterol was 99 and triglycerides were 89.  I've read Truvada has a lipid benefit.  Seems better than statins.  Now that I just recently changed to Descovy, it will be interesting what these will be next time and a year from now.  I suppose the possible kidney/bone issue with Truvada outweighs possible lipid benefits.

Offline CaveyUK

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 1,642
Re: Latest Labs and Question
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2016, 05:55:56 am »
These sound like questions for your  doc :)

I sometimes wish I could get online access to all my labs, like some of you seem to do but on the other hand, I think it would just fuel various anxieties so maybe better that I don't!
HIV - Basics
HIV 101
You can read more about Transmission and Risks here:
HIV Transmission and Risks
You can read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
You can read more about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read more about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
You can read more about PEP and PrEP here:
PEP and PrEP

Online leatherman

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 8,594
  • Google and HIV meds are Your Friends
Re: Latest Labs and Question
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2016, 08:16:28 am »
I don't know CD4 and and all that, because the patient computer portal won't show that.  They say it's for privacy
that is very odd. perhaps you should ask why this information is not readily available. You, as the consumer, should be able to see all lab results reported in the EMR

like some of you seem to do
One of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act was a requirement for electronic medical records (EMR). While this option was included to reduce paperwork and costs, the added benefit was allowing consumers to have greater access to their records and therefore better oversight of their own health care.

Quote
Reducing Paperwork and Administrative Costs. Health care remains one of the few industries that relies on paper records. The new law will institute a series of changes to standardize billing and requires health plans to begin adopting and implementing rules for the secure, confidential, electronic exchange of health information. Using electronic health records will reduce paperwork and administrative burdens, cut costs, reduce medical errors and most importantly, improve the quality of care. First regulation effective October 1, 2012.
http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts-and-features/key-features-of-aca-by-year/index.html

as the benefits of this proviso became apparent, legislation followed up in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that healthcare providers needed to adopt an electronic medical record system and show  “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR) by 1/1/2014 in order to keep Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement levels.

Quote
As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, all public and private healthcare providers and other eligible professionals (EP) were required to adopt and demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic medical records (EMR) by January 1, 2014 in order to maintain their existing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels. Since that date, the use of electronic medical and health records has spread worldwide and shown its many benefits to health organizations everywhere.
http://www.usfhealthonline.com/resources/healthcare/electronic-medical-records-mandate/


an EMR is the report about a patient’s medical history from just one practice;
while the EHR is the comprehensive patient medical history
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline CaveyUK

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 1,642
Re: Latest Labs and Question
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2016, 09:09:40 am »
All well and good, but I think it would 'enable' my tendency to freak-out about things that, to a trained eye, would not be worthy of any freak-outability
HIV - Basics
HIV 101
You can read more about Transmission and Risks here:
HIV Transmission and Risks
You can read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
You can read more about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read more about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
You can read more about PEP and PrEP here:
PEP and PrEP

Offline bocker3

  • Member
  • Posts: 4,285
  • You gotta enjoy life......
Re: Latest Labs and Question
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2016, 10:48:06 am »
Ted,

Did you change labs?  Did the lab's reference range change (indicating that they may have switched to a different assay method)?

At any rate - your result is in the reference range (>59), so I wouldn't worry much -- why the drop?  Who knows -- depending on your answer to my questions above -- could be all sorts of things.  Your eGFR would not be the only thing your doctor is monitoring for kidney function and a single different result from your normal is not necessarily something to act on anyway.

I wonder, given that your lipids were really different this time too, if there was a potential labeling error or some other sort of lab error.  Funny how we are more accepting of a "good" change but less so of a "bad" change -- even though both are out of normal for you.  Human nature, I suppose.

At any rate -- discuss with your doctor, who should be looking at the totality of your lab results and not single tests, as well as trends over time.

Personally - I think wider access to lab results, without the assistance of a trained professional to help interpret is actually not such a good thing.  Having access to lab results AFTER discussing with a doctor is good - you can have oversight.  Having access BEFORE discussing with a doctor can cause worry, even outright panic in some.  I always ask for a copy of my lab results and I keep a spreadsheet  - mine goes all the way back to 2005, so I agree it's a good thing to have them.  What I disagree with is the timing of getting access.  I am a trained Clinical Laboratory Scientist and I still wouldn't want to see my results before meeting with my doctor.

Anyway -- back to you Ted -- I assume you will be seeing your doctor shortly, so ask him/her what they think of these "outlier" results.

Mike

Offline tednlou2

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,730
Re: Latest Labs and Question
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2016, 11:19:14 pm »
Guess just time will tell whether this was a lab error or a real decline...and just what that means.

Here's what's interesting--  On August 25 I had blood work.  I had been feeling off with side pain and stools looking clay colored to me.  When discussing my upcoming appointment at that time with the doc office, they said to stop by to check liver labs.  I didn't realize they did the whole Comp panel then.  So, just a couple weeks before I had these latest labs done, I had blood done on August 25, too. 

My eGFR on August 25 was 98-- using the same lab and same reference range. Between that lab and the one I did last Tuesday, I switched to Descovy.  Just thought that was interesting, but obviously could be total coincidence and this could even just be a lab error.  But it would be the first, since my eGFR has always been high 90's to low 100's, for 8 years of labs. 

I've read where a urine sample test would normally be checked for protein.  My doc hasn't been ordering those for last few labs, for some reason.  My creatinine and BUN are in normal ranges.  So maybe just some off lab.  And it's still within the normal range...which again says >59.  I will have to ask about that, because I keep reading anything under 70 would be considered significant.  Need to learn how they do their reference range. 

Edited for spelling
« Last Edit: September 21, 2016, 11:28:21 pm by tednlou2 »

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.