Did you know that the world’s first baby to be conceived with in vitro fertilization was in 1978? There is another type of in vitro that you might not be aware of called in vitro diagnostics. These are some of the most common clinical tests done to help diagnose conditions.
Keep reading to learn all about the ins and outs of in vitro diagnostics below.
What Is In Vitro Diagnostics?
With an in vitro diagnostics (IVD), there are samples taken from the human body that are analyzed. Patients can use the test results and choose to receive medical care or not based on the results. This is why these test results have to be as accurate as possible, in order to avoid patients from going through unnecessary tests and treatments for no reason.
The tests that are done via in vitro diagnostics are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as medical devices. What this means is that manufacturers have to submit studies showing that the test is accurate when diagnosing a certain condition before they can bring it to the market.
The problem that has been raised is that the FDA has exempted any in vitro diagnostics that are developed and used in the same laboratory. These are called laboratory-developed tests (LDTs).
Provide Guidance
Thanks to in vitro diagnostics there are many people thriving after being diagnosed with some of the world’s biggest causes of death. Patients are getting diagnoses with things such as cancer, HIV, hepatitis, and cancer early enough to treat their health concerns.
Knowing early enough gives doctors enough time to act with enough time to help those that are sick. You can read here for more information on the education portion of in vitro diagnostics.
Prevent Problems From Getting Worse
As we mentioned earlier when a health care problem is diagnosed early enough there are much better opportunities to intervene and help. There are also better chances of preventing more health issues from arising.
There are some IVDs that go further than the laboratory, doctor’s office, and hospital because patients with chronic diseases can self-monitor and manage their own conditions.
Commerical IVDs
In vitro diagnostics are used to analyze samples from either a human’s saliva or from a blood sample. It measures the analytes in the sample, such as the cholesterol or the sodium. Or it measures the concentration of certain substances that are present.
Sometimes they look for the absence of a certain marker or set of markers when diagnosing.
Feeling Like an In Vitro Diagnostics Pro?
Now that you know more about in vitro diagnostics you now know that IVDs can influence better health outcomes along with multiple points on the health care continuum. Hopefully, there are more advancements in future in vitro diagnostics technologies to improve its capabilities in the future.
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