Bloodwork tells us what is happening in certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, by showing us metabolites that indicate either the function of these organs or dysfunction. Some of these metabolites are monitored via subsequent blood collections to give an idea of how a patient is responding to treatment or make sure that a medication is not causing any unwanted damage. Bloodwork usually entails a complete blood count looking at red and white blood cells. These often will tell if there is any inflammation or infection present as well as sometimes give an indication of certain types of cancers. Note: Bloodwork alone will not tell you if a patient has cancer or not and it is not the best screening tool for cancer; it is used in combination with other tests as a screening tool.
Chemistry is another important test and this looks at those metabolites mentioned earlier such as kidney waste products (urea, creatinine) and liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, GGT). Electrolytes are often included in a chemistry, and these are things like sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium, among others. These are important as some of these electrolytes are intricately linked with heart function, such as potassium, sodium, and calcium, and others can give an indication of certain diseases and more importantly are essential to know for treatment.