Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Other Tests

  • The blood supply to your hand normally comes from two arteries: the radial artery and the ulnar artery. Before drawing blood for an arterial blood gas test, your health professional will make sure that both arteries are open and working correctly. A procedure called the Allen test may be used to find out if the blood...

  • Provides overview of tests used to find out what a person might be allergic to. Covers skin and blood tests. Explains why and how each test is done. Discusses risks. Explains results and offers points to consider before having tests.

  • Learn what an ankle-brachial test is, why it's done, and what the results might mean.

  • Learn about asthma tests for children.

  • Exercise challenge and inhalation challenge tests are sometimes used to diagnose asthma and workplace asthma (occupational asthma). In an exercise challenge test, spirometry is done before and after you exercise on a treadmill or an exercise...

  • An autopsy is a thorough medical exam of a body after death. It may be done to learn about a disease or injury. Or it may be done to find out how or why a person has died. An autopsy is done by a doctor called a pathologist. This type of doctor is an expert in examining body tissues and fluids. Family members...

  • There are a number of ways to estimate what percentage of your weight is fat. But measuring body fat is not done routinely, because all of these methods have advantages and disadvantages as well as margins of error. Some common methods include: Skinfold thickness. An instrument called a caliper is...

  • Learn 3 ways to take your child's temperature and the pros and cons of each way.

  • Body temperature is a measure of how well your body can make and get rid of heat. The body is very good at keeping its temperature within a safe range, even when temperatures outside the body change a lot. When you are too hot, the blood vessels in your skin widen to carry the excess heat to your skin's...

  • You can take a temperature using the mouth (oral), anus (rectal), armpit (axillary), or ear (tympanic). But the temperature readings vary depending on which one you use, and you need an accurate body temperature to determine if a fever is present. Medical research hasn't determined an exact correlation between...

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