blood test question for anybody medical

[CamboricumMinor]

DBro had a blood test recently, he had full blood count, thyroid and iron. The results have come back to say that all are normal except the serum test which the GP will phone him about in the next two weeks. TWO WEEKS?! Anyway, he doesn't know which the serum test was and the receptionist couldn't tell him - is it going to be the iron one or one of the others?
Thanks.

Did ur brother have a liver function test. Serum normally concentrates on your liver or kidney function.

No, not unless they did it without telling him.

Do u know why the blood tests were needed? Has he lost a lot of weight recently, any pain any illness?

Serum is part of the full blood count I think - FBC has lots of different results within it so it will likely be one of those is just waiting to come back. I think...

he's been tired a lot and feeling quite down in the dumps, he's not lost weight or anything.

If I was ur brother I would phone the practice and ask for a call back/appointment to discuss the results. A serum test or liver function test is a specific test and if he didn't know he was having these then it's best to ask. The other tests results could show reasons for tiredness but these appear to have come back ok which is positive.

He's done that and they have said that he'll get a call from the GP in the next two weeks, apparently the GP was planning to discuss it when he's booked in to see them at the end of March, he's not happy with that and neither was I when I spoke to him earlier. Thanks for the info, I'm telling him not to worry but he's worrying anyway.

It could be his ferritin which is sometimes referred to as serum ferritin, so that's iron stores. You can have a good Hb (immediate iron) but poor stores.

And if that's what it isits not urgent. My ferritin was 9 recently, GP rang me and said I must take iron he was going to prescribe. I felt fine, never took the iron and a few months later it was normal anyway.

I would worry as well. It is positive tho that the results have come back ok. Any good practice would call u in straight away if there was a problem.

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm

Though I do agree it's poor to ring and say something's not normal, I don't know anything about it as im not medical and the Dr will ring in two weeks. Of course people will worry.

Thanks Simon, I've emailed him the link. He's imagining all kinds of things he needs a test for hypochondria but I agree it is worrying to get a call like that.

Do they have all his test results back apart from this serum one i.e doctor is waiting on this result before committing to a diagnosis or they do have his serum result but will only call in 2 weeks. Seems strange if it's anything serious to wait that long. Serum is a bit vague as well I don't think the receptionist has used the correct test terminology.
Usually it precedes a something like serum electrolytes, serum electrophoresis serum ferritin serum protein serum antibodies etc etc It isn't a test in its own right as it's just a component of normal blood

yes, the rest are all normal, they aren't waiting for any others. I think it must be his iron test but I don't really know.

He could ask for a copy of his results, he's entitled to them, it's information about him. At my practice the doctor just authorises it and then you can collect them from reception.