BajaNomad

Reliability Of Mexican Medical Lab Test Results

DavidE - 10-22-2013 at 11:24 AM

I am hoping ENSENADA DR will chime in on this one.

Let's use Ensenada as a trial city for an example...

There must be what (?) half dozen or more "medical labs" in the city.



  1. How does a customer tell a good lab from an unreliable lab?
  2. Is there some sort of "Certification" to look for?
  3. Kickbacks to the referring doctor?
  4. Can an individual walk in and ask for a specific test?
  5. The easiest way to transcribe English to Espaņol when referencing a test?
  6. Accuracy of critical tests, like sodium warfarin? Creatine in urine? CBC?


Personal experiences from using these types of services anywhere in Mexico? Inferior, or incorrect tests results obtained?

Pescador - 10-22-2013 at 11:47 AM

We have two main labs in Santa Rosalia and one has a stellar reputation of doing very accurate and precise work, the other, not so much. Normally the physicians who use these labs have a good idea of who does the top notch work. It is like everything in Mexico, ask around and you will usually find out.

EnsenadaDr - 10-22-2013 at 11:50 AM

A. You can't, only by trial and error.
B. Not that I am aware of. I will look into this further.
C.No kickbacks that I know of, I don't know about any other Doctor.
D.Yes anyone can walk in and ask for a test.
E. Either knowing Spanish, or Googling it.
F.I would stick to hospital labs like Velmar or Cardiomed, if your labs vary significantly to the ones you get in the US, have them repeat it.
Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
I am hoping ENSENADA DR will chime in on this one.
Let's use Ensenada as a trial city for an example...
There must be what (?) half dozen or more "medical labs" in the city.

  1. How does a customer tell a good lab from an unreliable lab?
  2. Is there some sort of "Certification" to look for?
  3. Kickbacks to the referring doctor?
  4. Can an individual walk in and ask for a specific test?
  5. The easiest way to transcribe English to Espaņol when referencing a test?
  6. Accuracy of critical tests, like sodium warfarin? Creatine in urine? CBC?


Personal experiences from using these types of services anywhere in Mexico? Inferior, or incorrect tests results obtained?

DENNIS - 10-22-2013 at 12:46 PM

I've heard that if Mexico Docs want reliable results, and all things are in order, they send the patient to the States for labs. It's one of the advantages of living close to the border.

shari - 10-22-2013 at 01:28 PM

when the doctor asked me for some tests here in Asuncion, Juan wanted me to go to the lab in Vizcaino as they had more accurate results than the tests done at the hospital here. So I did and when the doctor saw the results, she wanted me to have the tests again here as the Vizcaino clinic results were unreliable.....sheesh! Maybe ask your doctor?

DavidE - 10-22-2013 at 03:24 PM

OK I got it. Have five tests done. Add up each test number for all five tests then divide by five.

Example

Test 1 210

Test 2 88

Test 3 166

Test 4 233

Test 5 109

Total 806

Divide by 5 = 161

Oh wait, that can't be right, the patient died right after test #5

Oh how wonderful this must be for folks monitoring sodium warfarin blood concentration levels.

BajaLuna - 10-22-2013 at 03:35 PM

I don't know how accurate this info is, but for what it's worth....my Dr. up here in the Pacific Northwest where I live, he travels a lot in Mexico, he told me if you ever need medical tests, lab work etc done, make sure you go to a lab or a clinic next to, or attached to, or associated with a major hospital or go to a place like this located inside the hospital. In his experience they have the most state of the art equipment. I'm sure "state of the art" varies in different parts of Mexico, but this was his advice to me.

vacaenbaja - 10-22-2013 at 04:41 PM

In the old days most blood work was done manualy. You used a hemocytometer, and your knowledge of morphology to to count and classify. You also did your own dilutions,
culture smears ph tests etc by hand. You really had to know
your stuff.
Then the era of automated lab chemistries came. It was
faster and the machine does all the "guess work" via
computer programs that control a wonderful maze of electromechanical sampling and measuring devices.
For this system to work correctly it must be CALIBRATED
and maintained at regular intervals. Old reagents should not be used, and periodic benchmark comparisons should be made man vs machine. Alas this does not always happen. even in the USA. Factory service is VERY EXPENSIVE.
That is why sometimes a
doctor may have more faith in the results given to him by a very competent lab tech using
manual methods rather than those spit out by some possibly ill maintained modern equipment.
It is all about quality control. The lab has to be run by someone
that takes the time and expense to make sure that their
results are accurate.

DENNIS - 10-22-2013 at 05:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
when the doctor asked me for some tests here in Asuncion, Juan wanted me to go to the lab in Vizcaino as they had more accurate results than the tests done at the hospital here. So I did and when the doctor saw the results, she wanted me to have the tests again here as the Vizcaino clinic results were unreliable.....sheesh! Maybe ask your doctor?



This is the definitive answer to the question.....How eff are we supposed to know?


I had blood pulled in a Maneadero lab for a local doctor, who I trust.. for a cardiologist, who told me my blood sugar was reeeeeeely high....I mean reeeeeely high according to the test.

I went home and jumped onto Amazon and ordered every piece of home test equipment offered.

Got it all and proceeded to test what was left of my life, and wadddaya know? There was nothing....nothing at all...wrong with my blood sugar. I tested myself for months. No number that ever approached 100.

I guess I'm fine.

Not sure about that lab.....or the doctor.

EnsenadaDr - 10-22-2013 at 05:43 PM

I have never heard a Mexican doctor admit that to a patient (even though they might feel that way). Did any of your doctors Dennis tell you that personally? I find that hard to believe.I know Dr. Esquer relies on his own laboratory in Ensenada and has a lot of faith in them.
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
I've heard that if Mexico Docs want reliable results, and all things are in order, they send the patient to the States for labs. It's one of the advantages of living close to the border.

meme - 10-23-2013 at 10:13 AM

Dr Abasolo's office here has a lab right next door. San Felipe. He has ordered tests for my husband several times & they are as accurate as the tests we have had done in the U.S & his Dr in U.S accepts them readily.

DavidE - 10-23-2013 at 11:57 AM

With rat poison therapy, extremely accurate and dependable lab tests are essential. A little too much or too little, and oh well, you don't want to know.

rhintransit - 10-23-2013 at 12:15 PM

not enough info re your 'blood pull' as I'm sure others will point out. was it a random draw? a fasting blood sugar? a glucose tolerance test?
did you eat a couple of Bimbo cakes before hand?
what did the cardiologist say, other than 'really high.'
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by shari
when the doctor asked me for some tests here in Asuncion, Juan wanted me to go to the lab in Vizcaino as they had more accurate results than the tests done at the hospital here. So I did and when the doctor saw the results, she wanted me to have the tests again here as the Vizcaino clinic results were unreliable.....sheesh! Maybe ask your doctor?



This is the definitive answer to the question.....How eff are we supposed to know?


I had blood pulled in a Maneadero lab for a local doctor, who I trust.. for a cardiologist, who told me my blood sugar was reeeeeeely high....I mean reeeeeely high according to the test.

I went home and jumped onto Amazon and ordered every piece of home test equipment offered.

Got it all and proceeded to test what was left of my life, and wadddaya know? There was nothing....nothing at all...wrong with my blood sugar. I tested myself for months. No number that ever approached 100.

I guess I'm fine.

Not sure about that lab.....or the doctor.

DavidE - 10-23-2013 at 12:53 PM

Doesn't matter. A healthy individual can eat a half dozen ears of corn, and wash it down with a quart of orange juice, and 15-minutes later a standard home brew One-Touch tester will not claim blood sugar is "really really high". 160 perhaps, or if they stick themselves in the same finger they just held onto a Snickers bar with, then a massive error can result. That's a second reason why in MD offices when they stick someone for sugar they first sterilize (which cleans too) with alcohol.

Some medications, especially some corticosteroids can cause blood sugar levels to go truly crazy, even in a borderline diabetic. When my only alternative to suffering excruciating herniated lumbar disc pain was to read about forum member's recommendations about TRAMADOL, plus the NIMESUIDE, for an NSAID, plus 20mg prednisone BID, I caught my blood sugar rising to near 600 (six hundred). I decided to go on insulin for a few weeks.

The A1C as you state must be done after fasting a day.

DENNIS - 10-23-2013 at 01:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
I have never heard a Mexican doctor admit that to a patient (even though they might feel that way).



Well...it was the same doc who had me on Coumadin who never asked for a blood-level test.
He didn't even ask for the test he commented on. Dr. Scary had that done and I just passed the results on to the cardio dude.

waddooIno.

This Is A Lot Cheaper Than The Farmacia Stuff

DavidE - 10-23-2013 at 02:49 PM

The trick, is getting the dosage "Just Right"

LOL,,,LOL................

captkw - 10-23-2013 at 03:07 PM

DENNIS - 10-23-2013 at 03:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
The trick, is getting the dosage "Just Right"



That's the trick with the pharma stuff too. Not really a trick, but a requirement which my expert, high paid, Mexico MD ignored.
Anyway....I'm off that and now using Pradaxa.

I'm not even sure I need this stuff anymore either. I'll discuss it with my US expert next appointment.