Unreliable medical tests play havoc with patients' lives in Kerala
- Shaji almost fainted when he received the test result that showed the TG level more than double the 'very high' score.
- TG level would vary according to food we have, but a variation of 900 mg/dl in just four days, that too without taking drugs, is incredible.
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Shaji, a middle aged man, from Alappuzha was in for a shock when lab tests at Alappuzha General Hospital showed triglycerides- TG, bad cholesterol in common parlance, in blood at a very high 1052 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) as against the normal level of 150 mg/dl.
Four days after he repeated the tests at Medical College in the district and found the bad cholesterol level was surprisingly normal at 144 mg/dl without even taking any medicine!
It is no magic though. This is how laboratories test your ability to be shocked and survive still!
On day one, Shaji underwent blood test on fasting, as directed by his doctor, in the lab of Government General Hospital. He almost fainted when he received the test result that showed the TG level more than double the 'very high' score. The lipid level above 500 mg/dl is considered very high. He conducted the test again in the same lab to ascertain the results and it showed the same.
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The doctor prescribed medicines for two weeks. But Shaji was doubtful about the results and did not take the medicines. Next day, he went to a private lab and the tests showed TG at 243 mg/dl. Blood tests at another lab a day after 'brought' his TG level to 190 mg.
By then, Shaji had made up his mind to find out how far it would go. He went again to the lab at the general hospital where he underwent the first test. This time, the results showed the lipids at 319 mg/dl. Next day, he went to Alappuzha Medical College and found that his TG level has normalised at 144 mg, that too without taking any medicine!
TG level would vary according to food we have, but a variation of 900 mg/dl in just four days, that too without taking drugs, is incredible, eminent doctors told Asianet News.
Now the question is which lab erred and which one was correct. Shaji remains confused still.
