diagnostic test

/ˌˈdaɪəgˌnɑstɪk tɛst/

Other forms: diagnostic tests

Definitions of diagnostic test

1. noun

   an assay conducted for diagnostic purposes
   synonyms: diagnostic assay

   types:

   biopsy

   examination of tissues or liquids from the living body to determine the existence or cause of a disease

   cloze procedure, cloze test

   a test for diagnosing reading ability; words are deleted from a prose passage and the reader is required to fill in the blanks

   faecal occult test, fecal occult test, stool test

   a test performed at home in which you collect specimens of your stool that are tested for traces of blood; used to detect colorectal cancers

   GI series

   diagnostic tests of the alimentary canal; usually involves inserting a contrast medium (such as barium sulfate) and taking an X-ray

   glucose tolerance test

   test of the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates; used in the diagnosis of hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus

   Pap test, Papanicolaou test, smear test

   a method of examining stained cells in a cervical smear for early diagnosis of uterine cancer

   PKU test

   a test of newborn infants for phenylketonuria

   Queckenstedt's test

   a test to determine whether there is a blockage of the spinal canal

   radioactive iodine test

   test of thyroid function in which the patient is given an oral dose of radioactive iodine-131

   Rubin test

   test to determine the patency or occlusion of the Fallopian tubes

   skin test

   any test to determine immunity or sensitivity to a disease by introducing small amounts on or into the skin

   tissue typing

   a series of diagnostic tests before an organ transplant to determine whether the tissues of a donor and recipient are compatible

   vital capacity

   the maximum amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation (usually tested with a spirometer); used to determine the condition of lung tissue

   blood test

   a serologic analysis of a sample of blood

   chorionic villus biopsy, chorionic villus sampling

   a prenatal test to detect birth defects at an early stage of pregnancy; tissue from the chorionic villi is assayed

   needle biopsy

   biopsy of deep tissue that is obtained through a hollow needle

   radioactive iodine excretion test

   radioactive iodine test that measures the amount of radioactive iodine excreted in the urine

   RAIU, radioactive iodine uptake test

   radioactive iodine test that measures the amount of radioactive iodine taken up by the thyroid gland

   Dick test

   a skin test to determine your susceptibility to scarlet fever

   patch test

   a test to determine allergic sensitivity by applying small pads soaked with allergen to the unbroken skin

   Schick test

   a skin test for immunity to diphtheria

   scratch test

   a test to determine allergic sensitivity to various substances by applying them to scratches in the skin

   tuberculin skin test, tuberculin test

   a skin test to determine past or present infection with the tuberculosis bacterium; based on hypersensitivity of the skin to tuberculin

   intradermal test, subcutaneous test

   a form of skin test in which the suspected allergen is injected into the skin

   type of:

   assay

   a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.