At a Glance
| Common tests | CBC, sugar (fasting, PP, HbA1c), thyroid, vitamin D, B12, lipid profile, kidney and liver function, urine routine |
|---|
| Also called | Blood test, lab test, pathology test; खून की जाँच (Hindi), रक्त तपासणी (Marathi) |
|---|
| Where | At our centre in Dadar West (ground floor, step-free); processed by our partner laboratory |
|---|
| Fasting | Only for some tests, such as fasting sugar and, if your doctor asks, a fasting lipid profile: usually 8–12 hours, plain water allowed |
|---|
| Reports | Timing depends on the test; we tell you when to expect each report when you book |
|---|
| Price | Confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit |
|---|
| Open | Mon–Sat 8am–10pm, Sun 8am–5pm |
|---|
Blood and lab tests collected at our centre
These are the tests patients most often give samples for at AV Scan. If yours is not listed, send a photo of your prescription on WhatsApp and our team will tell you whether it can be collected here.
- CBC (complete blood count), with ESR and a peripheral smear if your doctor asks: checks for anaemia, infection and platelet problems
- Blood sugar: fasting and post-prandial (PP) sugar, random sugar, and HbA1c, which reflects your average sugar over roughly the past 2–3 months. HbA1c can be misleading in some situations, such as anaemia, thalassaemia trait, pregnancy, or after recent blood loss or a transfusion, so your doctor reads it alongside your sugar readings
- Thyroid: TSH alone or a thyroid panel
- Kidney: serum creatinine, kidney function test (KFT or RFT), electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), uric acid and calcium
- Liver: liver function test (LFT), SGPT (ALT) and SGOT (AST)
- Lipid profile: cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL
- Vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) and vitamin B12
- CRP, a marker of inflammation, and prothrombin time (PT/INR), which checks blood clotting, for example before a procedure or while taking warfarin
- Hepatitis B (HBsAg), hepatitis C antibody and HIV screening. HIV testing is done only with your consent, and results are kept confidential. A test taken very soon after a possible exposure can miss an infection, so your doctor will advise whether it needs repeating
- Blood group and Rh type, serum hCG (the pregnancy hormone), and total IgE, which can support an allergy assessment but does not show what you are allergic to
- The dual marker blood test that goes with the NT scan in pregnancy
- Urine routine and a stool examination for ova and parasites. Biopsy and FNAC samples from procedures done at the centre are sent to the partner laboratory for histopathology and cytology
When doctors ask for blood tests
Blood tests help your doctor find, confirm or monitor a condition. Common reasons:
- A routine check-up, or symptoms such as tiredness, unexplained weight change or looking pale
- Diagnosing and monitoring diabetes (sugar, HbA1c) and thyroid disease (TSH)
- Checking cholesterol, kidney and liver function, including while you take long-term medicines
- Suspected low vitamin D or B12, for example with aches and weakness, or tingling and numbness
- Before a procedure or surgery: CBC, PT/INR, blood group and infection screening
- Before a CT or MRI with contrast: a recent serum creatinine report may be requested to check kidney function
- In pregnancy: blood group, CBC, sugar, infection screening and the dual marker test, as your obstetrician advises
If you have chest pain, sudden breathlessness, fainting, confusion, heavy bleeding, very high sugar readings with vomiting or drowsiness, or signs of low sugar that do not settle after eating something sugary, go to a hospital emergency department first. A routine blood test is not the right first step in an emergency.
How to prepare: fasting, water and medicines
Many blood tests need no preparation. The points below are general guidance; our team confirms the exact preparation for your tests when you book on WhatsApp.
- Fasting blood sugar: usually 8–12 hours without food, so fasting from the previous evening and giving the sample in the morning works well. Many doctors now accept a non-fasting lipid profile, but some ask for it fasting; follow your doctor's advice, and if you are unsure, come fasting
- Do not fast for much longer than 12 hours, as a very long fast can itself change some results. If you have diabetes, do not fast longer than your doctor advises
- While fasting, plain water is allowed and helps make the sample easier to take. Avoid tea, coffee (even without sugar), milk, juice, chewing gum and smoking until the sample is taken
- PP sugar: after the fasting sample, eat your usual meal. The second sample is usually taken 2 hours after you start eating, so note the time you begin. In those 2 hours, do not eat anything else or have sweet drinks, and avoid strenuous activity; plain water is fine
- Usually no fasting needed: CBC, HbA1c, thyroid tests, vitamin D, vitamin B12, creatinine, CRP and blood group. If they are combined with a fasting test, come fasting
- Diabetes medicines: unless your doctor has told you otherwise, keep your morning diabetes tablets and mealtime insulin until after the fasting sample, and take them with your meal. Do not skip long-acting (basal) insulin or change any dose without asking your doctor. Ask for an early morning time so you are not fasting longer than needed. If you feel shaky, sweaty or dizzy, eat or drink something sugary straight away, even before the sample, and tell our staff
- Thyroid tablets: many doctors prefer the sample before that day's dose, so ask your doctor. Tell us if you take biotin (in some hair, skin and nail supplements), as it can falsely change some thyroid and hormone results; ask your doctor whether to pause it for a few days before the test
- Do not stop any other medicine on your own, and tell the staff if you take a blood thinner
- Before a lipid profile or liver test, avoid alcohol for a day and an unusually heavy or fatty meal the evening before
- Bring your prescription, a list of your medicines and earlier reports for comparison. Loose sleeves make the sample easier to take
- Urine test: your doctor may ask for the first urine of the morning. Wash your hands, and collect a midstream sample (pass the first part into the toilet) in a clean, sterile container. Tell us if you have your period, as it can affect the result
- Children: tell us the child's age when you book, and our team will confirm fasting and plan the collection. A parent or guardian stays with the child throughout
What happens, and is it safe?
Our staff check your details and prescription, and the tubes are labelled with your name. A band is tied around your upper arm, the skin is cleaned, and blood is drawn from a vein with a sterile, single-use needle. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes. You then press a cotton pad on the spot for a few minutes, with your arm straight, to limit bruising.
Having blood taken is a common, low-risk procedure. You may feel a brief sting, and a small bruise may appear that fades over a few days. Tell the staff beforehand if you have felt faint during a blood test before, so they can take extra care, for example with you lying down. For a few hours afterwards, avoid carrying heavy bags with that arm. If you take a blood thinner, press on the spot for longer. Contact your doctor if the arm becomes very swollen, red or painful, or the bleeding does not stop with firm pressure.
Your report
Reports come from our partner laboratory. Timing depends on the test; tissue (histopathology) reports, for example, take longer than routine blood tests. We tell you when to expect each report when you book.
Your results should be read by the doctor who asked for them, alongside your symptoms and any scans. A single result slightly outside the normal range is not always a problem, and normal ranges can differ between laboratories, so keep earlier reports to compare results over time.
Giving your sample at AV Scan
AV Scan is a doctor-owned diagnostic centre at Ground Floor, Shilpa Apartment, Shankar Ghanekar Marg, Dadar West / Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400028.
- Near Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak Temple, with step-free access
- Open Monday to Saturday 8am–10pm and Sunday 8am–5pm. Fasting samples are usually given in the morning, and our team confirms a suitable time
- Send a photo of your prescription to +91 98200 51511 on WhatsApp; our team confirms the tests, the preparation and the exact price before your visit
- Having a scan too? The sample can often be given on the same visit, for example the dual marker test with an NT scan
- If you have insurance, CGHS, ECHS or MJPJAY cover, tell us when you book and our team will check what applies to your tests
- Scans at the centre are reported by our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal (both MD Radiology, FMF (UK) certified). Blood test reports come from our partner laboratory
