How long does it take for disease screening results to be available?

The time span for getting the results of disease screening is very long. It can be obtained in a dozen minutes at a fast time, or it may take a week or even longer at a slow time. The core is directly related to the complexity of the screening project and the specimen volume of the testing institution.

Last week, I accompanied Aunt Zhang downstairs to the community health service center for a follow-up blood sugar screening for diabetes. After pricking her fingertips, she leaned on the triage table and chatted for a few words. The results came out in a little over 10 minutes. The nurse adjusted her recent dietary advice on the spot. Most of the rapid testing items, such as pregnancy test strips and Helicobacter pylori insufflation tests, can produce results within half an hour, which is very convenient.

If it is basic screening such as blood routine, chest X-ray, and abdominal ultrasound in routine physical examination, the speed will not be too slow. If most public hospitals complete it in the morning, the electronic report can be found on the official public account at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. If it is in the peak season of physical examination and the amount of institutional specimens is particularly large, it can be issued the next day at the latest. My last annual physical exam happened to coincide with the peak of the company's group exams, and the results came out half a day later than usual. I asked friends who worked in the laboratory department to find out that during that time, they had to process thousands of specimens every day, and every abnormal indicator had to be reviewed by two people. A slower pace would be more reliable.

However, if it is a special screening involving cytopathology and genetic testing, the waiting time will be much longer. For example, women have to undergo joint HPV + TCT cervical cancer screening every year, or those who undergo gastrointestinal endoscopy for early cancer screening and take a biopsy usually have to wait 3-7 days for the results. My best friend had TCT last month, and she checked the hospital's public account for three days in a row to check the report. She was so anxious that she couldn't even eat. , there is actually a reason for this slowness: specimens need to be fixed, stained, and read by pathologists, and when suspicious abnormal cells are encountered, superior doctors need to be consulted. Every step cannot be omitted. If more complex projects such as tumor susceptibility genes are added, it is common to wait 10 days to two weeks.

Nowadays, many testing institutions have launched expedited screening services. At an extra cost of 20%-50%, the results can be obtained 1-3 days faster than the normal speed. This matter also has different opinions in the industry. Most doctors who often spend time in the laboratory do not recommend the expedited option under normal circumstances. After all, many testing items have fixed reaction and incubation times. Blindly compressing the process may affect the accuracy of the results. Of course, if you are waiting for the results to apply for employment or a visa abroad, it is no problem to choose the expedited channel of a regular institution. Just ask in advance about the fees and the accurate time for the results.

If you have not received the results after waiting longer than the time promised by the institution, just take the initiative to call and ask. There is a high probability that the specimen information needs to be re-recorded. It is rare that there is a serious problem. Don't scare yourself first.