OASC Blood Test
 

Howdy,

Any one know what is tested for during the Blood test as part of OASC's part 2 med?

PF

Why, what are you afraid of !!!!!

unless they are going to counsel you it won't be HIV.

Its probably LFT's,U's&E's possibly hormone profile. Most probably it's an admisson profile.

Nothing really just intrested.... the 1M being spent on the "drugs are still illegal mr junky" campaign got to me!

So does anyone know what they test for.... Blood sugar?... STD's?... Drugs?....

TA PF

I'd imagine its mainly to screen for potential problems, blood-sugar/insulin levels for diabetes, mineral levels/deficiencies, liver function etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if they ran a broad spectrum drugs suite on it as well, considering their hard line on it. Thats not a problem though is it, having renounced drugs already in your interview :P

All that being said, bloodwork can be pretty expensive, so they're unlikely to go digging for anything exotic without other indicators. When I had my CAA bloods done I think they just checked red blood cell count and condition and blood-sugar (ie anaemia and diabetes).

They specifically tell you it's not an HIV test so if you want one of those you have to get it done seperately.

I could be wrong but is the sugar level test not that long paper strip thing they dip in the urine sample?

It's not DNA samples either, you do that on a card with 4 spots on it after they put a pin through your finger, fun fun fun!

PS. I have no medical qualifications whatsoever so I could be talking B*******! :D

I was told that they test the "random lipids" level in the blood test. Not sure if that is the sole purpose of the test though. I think random lipids is a medical term for blood sugar level, with the random part referring to the fact that you dont fast prior to the test.

It's a full blood profile. Ask your GP or Practice nurse for full details. The annual blood test done on all aircrew and periodically on ground personnel will detect any potential problems at an early stage. Good for your future health, really.

Urine Tests
 

Posted a load of blah on here about Urinalysis etc , then re-read the thread and realised I'd got a bit carried away.

FJJP is right. Believe that urinalysis is the initial test for diabetes, but it also tests loads of other stuff.

As suggested previously, a trip to your GP should enable him/her to arrange blood/urine screening tests.

STH

If they're testing blood rather than urine I'd suggest that they may be looking for Ketones (which would suggest Type 1 diabetes - or Atkins dieters!), and they may do an HBA1C (which measures blood sugar over the last couple of months - much more useful than a snapshot glucose level for diagnosing diabetes).

I know of at least one airline that, amongst other things, is looking for an enzyme that is released by the liver by alcohol!
By measuring the amount in your blood they can tell whether or not you are a bit of a p1ss artist! Gamma Globin rings a bell but I'm really not certain. If in doubt de-tox for about a month before the medical! Best of luck :ok:

A full blood profile will cover most of the conditions mentioned above. The results generally come from the lab showing the readings measured against the 'normal' range. A doctor will read them and can detect possible problems.

For example, cholestorol levels are measured, as is liver function. Both can reveal either medical problems or lifestyle indicators. If you've been stuffing your face all your life with fish and chips, beefburgers, deep fried mars bars, etc, then you're cholestorol levels are liable to be elevated. Similarly, if you've downed 10 pints of heavy since the age of 13, your liver function tests may show an abnormal reading.

If you pop along to your GP or Practice Nurse, he or she will show you examples of test results (on the screen - it's all done by computer these days) and talk you through a typical test sequence. If you ask, she may arrange a full screening test - and give you a print of the results (you are entitled to a copy).

Me layman, but have come across this sort of thing before - talk to the experts. Knowledge is power!

By the way, there is nothing you can do to frig the results!

Other than obtain the unadulterated blood of a healthy young child, put it in a fairy liquid bottle with a tube.......oh no, thats for p*ss, hmm, what would Withnail do?

BTW let them know if you are on any perscribed medication as some of them can give altered results.

If you are a heavy drinker, I'm underr the impression that abstaining from alcohol shortly before your blood test can make your liver kick off a load of some arbitary medical chemical that can send a few alarm bells ringing.

Have no idea if that's true, but I'm sure it won't affect since you're a healthy clean living kind of gal/bloke;)

If I remember correctly its a fasted blood test. make sure they clarify this as they didnt tell me so I pitched up having had breakfast in the mess, and not surprisingly, the results came back abnormal... (retested later and results normal)

now what was strange was the look of disbelief on the nurses face when i told her that unless they tell me beforehand that i need to fast, then i will carry on eating meals....is that being unreasonable???

Just a word of warning, although you should digest all the above advice, DO NOT change your lifestyle DRASTICALLY before you turn up for your tests. I thought that because I was a bit of a boozer, I should give up completely a week before my very first aircrew medical. When the results came back, my liver had let out some chemicals that suggested I was a hardcore boozer and/or druggie!! Apparently something to do with your liver being used to it and then making some chemical to counter not having alcohol in the blood, haha. If you have a normal, healthyish lifestyle you really shouldn't worry about it. If you DO have something to hide, then I would stop whatever it is now, before it is too late!