Lab Tests Index Listing

Laboratory testing plays a major role in modern medicine — an estimated 60–70% of diagnostic and treatment decisions rely on lab results. This section offers practitioners a guideline on key Blood, Urine, and Stool tests, including reference ranges, possible diagnoses, and suggested herbal formulas to assist in diagnosis and treatment.

A few things to keep in mind as you use it:

• No test is perfect. False-positives and false-negatives happen. Always treat the person, not the lab value — weigh symptoms, signs, tongue, and pulse alongside any result.
• Reference ranges are guidelines, not absolutes. They vary by population, lab, and method — interpret results using the range from the lab that ran the test.

This index is written by Dr. Matt Van Benschoten. You can learn more about this topic by taking his full course at eLotus: Laboratory Test Results and Chinese Herbal Medicine.