An inconclusive medical result refers to when the test’s outcome isn’t clearly positive or negative. In healthcare settings, this typically means that further testing or an alternative diagnostic tool is needed.
Laboratory (lab) tests are carried out to diagnose or rule out a health condition. They work by testing bodily fluids, such as urine and blood. A healthcare professional can then analyze them in a lab to check for specific substances or cells to detect any abnormalities.
Your results can come back positive or negative for a certain health condition. However, in some instances, you may receive an
Your test results are compared to a reference range. If your levels are higher or lower than what is considered “normal,” this may indicate a health condition.
You can get three different types of results following a lab test. These include:
- Positive: A positive test result
indicates that a person may have a certain health condition or biomarker. - Negative: Also, known as “normal,” this result means that you most likely do not have the condition or marker that was tested for. However, more testing may still be required.
- Inconclusive: This means your test result was uncertain, and there wasn’t enough clear information to determine a definite answer. Further testing is needed.
Common examples of tests that sometimes come back inconclusive are rapid COVID-19 tests and blood tests.
There are many reasons why inconclusive lab tests may occur, such as:
- the disease or condition is at an early stage and is difficult to detect
- the sample was inadequate and not collected properly
- the sample volume was contaminated
- you are taking certain medications that have interfered with the test
- the testing method used had certain limitations, and an alternative diagnostic tool would be more suitable
It’s important to remember that an inconclusive result is not the same as a positive result. Further testing can be used to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
If you receive an inconclusive result, you can first speak with the healthcare professional delivering your results about next steps. You may receive your results in a follow-up appointment and can have the conversation then. If you receive them via a letter or phone call, you need to contact the hospital or clinic directly and ask for a follow-up conversation.
In most cases, a healthcare professional will ask you to take the test again. They may be able to do this as soon as possible, or they may ask you to wait and come back at a later date to monitor any health changes.
They may also suggest using a different diagnostic tool if they feel the initial method was unable to detect a certain condition, disease, or marker.
Waiting for test results can feel overwhelming. It can be helpful to practice self-care and relaxation techniques while you wait to manage any anxiety.
An inconclusive result means the test’s outcome isn’t clearly positive or negative. This means there wasn’t a clear answer, and further investigation will be needed.
No, an inconclusive test is neither positive nor negative. It means your test result was uncertain, and there wasn’t enough information to determine a definite answer.
Laboratory (lab) tests are carried out to diagnose or rule out a health condition. They work by testing bodily fluids, such as urine and blood. However, in some cases, the results may be inconclusive, which means there wasn’t a clear answer.
This can occur for several reasons, such as the sample being contaminated or the disease being at an early stage, making it hard to detect.
Following an inconclusive result, a healthcare professional will typically ask you to take the test again or suggest using a different diagnostic tool.
It’s important to remember that an inconclusive result is not the same as a positive result. Further testing can be used to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.