ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Javed, 36, was feeling unwell earlier this week so he decided to see a doctor at Polyclinic.

The doctor suggested some tests and when Mr Javed received his report from the hospital’s lab, he was shocked to see that his triglyceride and cholesterol levels were very high.

He then went to a private lab to give a fresh sample and the results were completely different, suggesting his cholesterol and triglyceride levels were normal.

It is pertinent to mention that cholesterol and triglyceride are fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Body needs some amount of this substance to work properly. Excessive amount of both substances can narrow the arteries or even block them which can lead to heart attack.

Doctors say tests play a vital role in diagnosis and should be error-free

According to the original report given by the Polyclinic, available with Dawn, the patient’s triglyceride level was 609 mg/dl while its normal range is around 150 mg/dl.

His report shows his cholesterol levels are 315 mg/dl, while borderline is between 200 and 240.

Upon seeing this report, Mr Javed was advised by some friends to have the results rechecked, rather than taking medicine for high cholesterol.

“I then went to a private lab on June 23, and my tests came out normal,” he said.

These test results, available with Dawn, show that the patient’s triglycerides were at 232 mg/dl and his cholesterol levels were 240 mg/dl. “I was happy to know that I did not need medication,” he said.

Mr Javed is not the only person to have received two different reports for the same test. A number of people have been given erroneous reports and they started receiving treatment for conditions they did not have.

Zahid Farooq, a resident of federal capital, while talking to Dawn said his 50-year-old wife died because of wrong diagnosis by the Polyclinic lab.

“I went to the Polyclinic because my wife was suffering from kidney problem but the hospital’s laboratory gave a report that both the kidneys were working normally. As I knew that one of her kidneys has shrunk and the other was not functioning properly, I ignored the report,” he said.

“However the report due to which my wife suffered was about HP level in blood. The polyclinic report showed that my wife’s HP level in blood was 10. However, private lab report showed its level at 6.5,” he said.

“Because of wrong treatments and diagnosis my wife was finally shifted to the ventilator and died on June 20,” he said.

A doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that tests play an essential role in diagnosis so they should be error-free.

“Overworked staff at government hospitals not only make mistakes but sometimes even mix up samples,” he said.

To substantiate his point, he said if a person with normal blood sugar is erroneously diagnosed with high blood sugar and given medicines, they would end up with low blood sugar which has its own symptoms such as dizziness and fainting.

Health expert Dr Waseem Khawaja told Dawn said that if a medicine was given to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides levels in a patient without any problems they can end up with dizziness or nausea.

“However, it is recommended that patients have their tests done regularly so that underlying conditions may be diagnosed,” he said.

Polyclinic spokesperson Dr Sharif Astori told Dawn that mistakes are sometimes made in laboratory tests.

“It is possible that it was a technical mistake but cholesterol levels may change rapidly which is why it is suggested that when a patient gives blood sample for lipid profile his stomach should be empty,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

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