Published: 17 Sep 2024

Typically, you will need to fast for up to 12 hours before your test, so if you have a lot of medications, talk with your doctor about what should be taken the night before, and follow their instructions carefully.
Other common types of blood tests include coagulation factors, which are the proteins and chemicals in your body that can help you clot blood, and various autoimmune and immune-system tests. There are a number of common types of blood tests that you can have at your doctor's office or a lab, such as a complete blood count (CBC), or a basic metabolic panel. This is a collection of different tests that measure how your body functions, including glucose, calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN).

The procedure of drawing blood takes just a few minutes and involves the nurse or technician cleaning your arm and placing a tourniquet on it, then inserting a needle into the skin. If you do, make sure to let the person doing the test know so that they can help you. Your healthcare provider will have a reference range for each of the blood tests that they perform, so you can see where your result falls in that range. You should not feel any after-effects from the procedure. The sample of blood is then placed into a special container for the laboratory to analyze. This reference range can be helpful if you are confused about the test or need further explanation of what your results mean.