Blood Chemistry and CBC Analysis: Clinical Laboratory Testing from a Functional Perspective

Just what I needed to see

I'm a patient and not a health care professional. I find this book extremely useful and very readable. As an older person I find that doctors have less and less time, patience, or willingness to explain basic lab work. You never really know what the numbers mean and what is optimal in the reference range. I needed to understand what a significant change up or down in various results might mean.Weatherby's book covers the common CBC (complete blood test) also known as a Blood Chemistry Screen test. Item by item it shows the conventional lab range, the optimal range, and discusses the clinical implication of being high or low. Consequently, you can take your copy of your test and go over each item and track your own changes, up, down or optimal. Knowing your own numbers will enable you as a patient to ask better questions of your health care provider, possibly spotting areas of trouble much earlier, or make needed lifestyle changes.If you are concerned about the cost, you can preview portions of the book though Google books. While the text is not for the person who has no understanding of medical terms, I think anyone who is familiar with basic medical terminology could utilize the information in the book.I consider this a 'patient empowering' book and it's an important addition to my family health library. And it would be a darned good idea to gift a copy to your favorite health care provider so you are both on the same page.

This book enables a more sophisticated interpretation of the more common medical tests. It is easy to use, listing "optimal" ranges, for each test. Tables list possible diagnoses. Diagnoses are given for "high" and "low" test results. The tables also relate the test under investigation to other tests, so establishing possible patterns, which make a narrower diagnosis possible. The book also looks at a number of "special topics" within each test, such as "thiamine deficiency" under "anion gap" and "dehydration" under "albumin". A table at the back of the book lists all the tests and their respective ranges. Duplicate this page, and each time you have blood tests to investigate you can write them in the column provided. You can the more easily see which are outside optimal, requiring further investigation. Also at the back of the book, is a conversion chart "converting standard US units into standard international units". The amount of information you can get from this book is quite extraordinary. When I have used it for myself, I have found it picks up extra symptoms that I have not mentioned to the practitioner. I think, if you are a practitioner, it will provide you with some of those extra details that your client does not mention. These can be validated with additional questioning, and a more appropriate remedy package suggested.

Used for my functional labs course in grad school. Really amazing tool for assessing labs!

Very well organized way to share knowledge. I have tried many books and send back to Amazon. This one is perfect!

Groundbreaking textbook for those alternative health practitioners wishing to explore the world of medical pathology testing and brush up on some biochemistry at the same time. Gain an insight to possible nutritional approaches to assist those clients that fall within the "ranges" and therefore not able to be assisted by pharma med. A valuable reference book for my practise bookshelf.

Have had this book so long, I just ordered another one! Well worth it!

Great reference guide for any clinician.