Post Date December, 03 2023
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First of all, we need to understand what are blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney function tests?
Routine blood tests include various cells in human blood such as white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, etc. The main function of red blood cells and hemoglobin is to transport oxygen. If the number of red blood cells or hemoglobin decreases, it indicates the possibility of anemia. White blood cells act as a police officer in the human body, specializing in dealing with "bad guys" such as invasive bacteria or viruses; If our body is infected with these "bad guys", our body will mobilize more white blood cells to deal with these bad guys, and when we check, we will find a corresponding increase in white blood cells. On the contrary, if white blood cells decrease, the body's ability to combat "bad guys" decreases, and the body is prone to critical situations such as severe infections. Platelets play an important role in the process of hemostasis, and either too high or too low can affect blood coagulation.
Routine urine examination mainly focuses on whether there is an increase in white blood cells in the urine, reflecting whether there is inflammation in the urinary tract. Our department of Rheumatology and Immunology mainly focuses on whether there are white blood cells, urinary protein, and occult blood in urine. In normal people, there are almost no white blood cells, protein, or blood in urine. If there are increased white blood cells, positive urinary protein, or occult blood in urine, it indicates that there is inflammation or infection in the kidney or urinary system, which requires medical treatment.
Liver and kidney function indirectly reflects the state and function of the liver and kidney by detecting creatinine, urea nitrogen, and liver enzymes in the blood.
For patients who come to the hospital for the first time, doctors will check their blood, urine routine, liver and kidney functions before taking medication. Some patients will ask, "What kind of diseases are these examined for?". In the department of digestion or nephrology, it may be to see if you have liver and kidney diseases. For doctors in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, these programs are more meaningful for guiding treatment than for diagnosing diseases.
As we know, almost all drugs are metabolized through the liver and kidneys. If your liver and kidneys are not very good and doctors do not know about these conditions, giving the same treatment to ordinary people may increase the burden on your liver and kidneys, leading to increased damage to liver and kidney functions. Therefore, our rheumatologists should first determine your liver and kidney function and blood cell count status before taking the medicine. Based on the examination results, choose the appropriate drugs for you, or add drugs to protect the liver and kidneys while using immunosuppressants, in order to achieve good therapeutic effects on the premise of safety.
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So why should we review blood, urine routine, and liver and kidney functions every other period of time?
That's because these indicators are like landmarks for our doctors on the road to treatment. When we drive on the road, we need corresponding road signs to indicate when to go straight and when to turn. The same is true for treatment. After taking medication for a period of time, while evaluating the treatment effect, it is more important for doctors to see if the medication has any toxic or side effects on patients. Common side effects include: decreased red blood cells and white blood cells, suggesting that drugs affect the body's hematopoietic function, leading to a decline in various functions of the body; Abnormal liver and kidney functions suggest the possibility of drug damage to the liver and kidney. At this point, the doctor needs to adjust the medication according to the specific situation. For example, if the liver function is abnormal, it indicates that the drug may damage the liver. The doctor will stop using drugs with greater liver toxicity, add other drugs with the same effect but less liver damage based on the patient's condition, and appropriately add liver protection drugs. According to different blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney function results, doctors adjust their medication, so these indicators are the roadmap for doctors on the treatment path. If these indicators are checked to be normal, you can continue taking the previous medication and wait for the medication to take effect.
Many patients reported that they were afraid to take drugs after reading the drug instructions. "I looked at the drug manual and found that the side effects were too severe and I was scared, so I didn't dare to eat it," said many patient friends. Of course, there are three types of poisons in medicine. It is right to be cautious in using medicine, but it is not good to worry too much and not dare to use medicine and delay treatment. In fact, just like a cook cooking dishes, doctors need to control the dosage to achieve good results and small side effects. For example, is salt toxic? Many people may say, "Salt should be non-toxic because we eat salt every day.". In fact, this view is wrong because eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure. Therefore, when many people go to the department of cardiology or nephrology for medical treatment, the doctor often instructs them to "eat light!". The "food" we eat every day actually has "toxic and side effects", because if you do not pay attention to diet control, you may have obesity, diabetes, gout and other diseases. Therefore, the magnitude of a drug's toxicity, in addition to the characteristics of the drug itself, is also closely related to how doctors use it rationally. A chef in a five-star hotel can cook delicious dishes by kneading the oil, salt, seasoning, and heat very well. As for these seasonings, if you put them too little, they have no taste, but if you put them too much, they can't stand it. The same is true for clinical treatment. Although these drugs may have some toxicity, they can treat diseases. High level doctors can achieve the goal of both treating patients' diseases and preventing side effects by dispensing different drugs and different drug doses. Therefore, people often hear that "arsenic is used as medicine, and snake venom is used as medicine", which is exactly what they say. This is also why we have always recommended that patients seek treatment from experienced doctors in regular hospitals, instead of blindly using drugs indiscriminately, and emphasize that patients should regularly go to the hospital for examination.
Clinically, we often receive patients who have suffered from long-term blind treatment and inappropriate medication, resulting in their liver and kidney being damaged instead of being cured. The goal is to treat the disease well, and regular review of blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney function is the key to correct treatment and reduce toxic and side effects.
How often should I have my blood, urine routine, and liver and kidney function reviewed? We suggest that at the beginning of treatment, blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney function should be reviewed every 2 weeks; If there is no abnormality, it can be reviewed once a month; The recheck results are normal, and can be rechecked once every 2-3 months. It is recommended to review blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney function at least once every 3 months.
After understanding these, patients should actively cooperate with doctors and consciously review blood and urine routine tests and liver and kidney functions regularly to achieve safe medication and happy treatment.
