Many types of tests may be used to diagnose or rule out digestive conditions and diseases, including:

• Basic metabolic panel (BMP). A group of tests often ordered in hospital emergency rooms because their components provide important information about the status of a patient’s kidneys, electrolyte and acid/base balance. They also reveal a patient’s blood glucose (sugar) levels. Significant changes in these test results can indicate acute conditions, such as kidney failure, insulin shock or diabetic coma, respiratory distress or heart rhythm changes.
  
  
• Complete blood count (CBC). Measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a patient’s blood. It also detects the amount of hemoglobin (a substance that carries oxygen throughout the body) in the red blood cells and a number of other factors. This test can detect conditions such as anemia that may be associated with digestive disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. It may also be used to detect conditions such as pancreatitis.  Patients who take medications that affect the CBC must have periodic blood testing for monitoring.
  
  
• Differential. Also called white blood cell count (WBC), it measures the numbers of white blood cells in a blood sample. This test also includes information about abnormal cell structure and the presence of immature cells. A patient’s WBC may increase as a result of infection (e.g., appendicitis) or decrease with use of certain medications or in response to certain diseases. In addition, a low WBC indicates that a patient may be at higher risk for infections.
  
  
• Complement. Measures the blood levels of proteins (complement) that help destroy foreign substances in the body. This type of blood test is also useful in evaluating kidney damage and in monitoring the progression of a disease.
  
  
• Sedimentation rate (sed rate). Measures the rate at which red blood cells (erythrocytes) separate from the liquid part of blood (plasma) and fall to the bottom of a test tube, forming sediment. Higher sed rates indicate the presence of inflammation somewhere in the body.
  
  
• Electrolyte panel. Measures the body’s main electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride and carbon monoxide) to help determine whether or not the body has a proper fluid balance. Patients with persistent diarrhea or nausea are at risk for dehydration and may receive electrolyte panel testing.
  
  
• Waste product test. A group of blood tests that measure the levels of specific waste products in a patient’s blood sample. They commonly test for uric acid, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). When the kidneys are not working properly, waste products can build up in the body.
  
  
• Enzyme tests. A group of blood tests that measure enzyme (protein required for chemical reactions to take place in cells) levels in the blood. These tests assess how well the body’s systems are functioning and whether any tissue damage has occurred. These tests may be used to measure liver or pancreas function and can help identify conditions such as pancreatitis.
  
  
• Antibody tests. Blood tests are available for many antibodies, substances produced by the body to fight specific infections. The presences of some antibodies are general indicators of inflammation somewhere in the body. Other antibodies may more specifically indicate diseases. For example, two different antibodies usually identify the two types of inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.