Medical Tests Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cervical cancer

To be clearer, the test is for the detection of pre-cancerous cells which might lead to cancer developing and is commonly known as a smear test. Cells are taken from the cervix and checked for certain kinds of human papillomavirus cells which may lead to cancer developing. Regular tests means that the risk of cervical cancer developing is much reduced.

The test was devised by a Greek doctor named George Papanicolaou in the 1920s and he also recorded the different types of pre-cancerous cells detected. It took some time before testing became widely available and accepted, but thousands of lives have been saved by undergoing a few moments of discomfort.

Answer: Hearing loss

The Weber test uses a tuning fork placed on the top of the patient's head. If the patient can hear the sound better on one side than the other, it indicates that there may be hearing loss in one ear. If there is hearing loss on both sides, the test doesn't help in diagnosis. The Weber test is still used as a preliminary tool, although more sophisticated electronic tests are carried out for further analysis.

Ernst Weber was not the first to use a tuning fork to measure deafness - that is credited to Charles Wheatstone, but Weber developed it further in the 1830s.

Answer: Tuberculosis

The Mantoux test is used to check for latent tuberculosis (TB) when no symptoms are noticeable. It is recommended for people who have been in contact with someone with TB or have been living in a country where the disease is common. Tuberculin is injected into the arm - a reaction, in the form of a red lump indicates that further investigation is advisable.

The test is named for a French doctor, Charles Mantoux, who came up with an preliminary version of the test in the early twentieth century. He used earlier research to develop it, and his original test wasn't particularly reliable. However, it did provide a base for further work and Mantoux's name has remained associated with the procedure.

Answer: Level of consciousness

The Glasgow scale is a widely used test for determining the level of consciousness of patients who are in a coma. It provides an objective way of measuring how deeply unconscious the patient is. There are three areas which are tested - eye opening, scored from 1 to 4 where 1 is no eye opening and 4 is when the patient is able to open and close their eyes as an intentional action. Verbal responses are rated from 1 to 5, 1 being no response at all while 5 is someone who is alert and able to converse. Finally, voluntary responses to commands are rated from 1 to 6, 1 being no response and 6 meaning the patient is able to carry out the request.

As is obvious, the lower the score, the worse the prognosis for the patient is. The scale was devised in 1974 by Professors Sir Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett at the University of Glasgow to provide a uniform method of assessing patients.

Answer: Colour blindness

The Ishihara test is designed to detect deficiencies in distinguishing between the colours red and green. The tests involve various pictures of random dots with numbers in a different colour apparent to anyone with normal colour vision. Those who have problems differentiating between red and green cannot easily see the numbers. Being able to distinguish colours properly is important in several occupations, particularly in the armed forces.

The test was devised in Japan by Shinobu Ishihara as long ago as 1917. He was a doctor in the Japanese army and later specialised in ophthalmology.

Answer: Infertility

Also called the postcoital test, this is a method of checking the sperm after sexual intercourse has taken place. Mucus from the woman's cervix is examined to see if the sperm are being affected by the natural secretions of her body and how mobile they are. The mucus can sometimes be toxic to the sperm and prevent them being able to fertilise the ovum.

James Marion Sims was a nineteenth century American surgeon who first investigated issues of fertility while Max Huhner publicised Sims' work. The test is sometimes named for either man, i.e. the Sims test or the Huhner test, as well as both of them.

Answer: Diphtheria

Rarely used now, at least in the developed world, the Schick test was designed to check for susceptibility to diphtheria before vaccines became widely available. A small dose of the diphtheria toxin is injected into one arm, with a control injection of a deactivated version in the other. If there is a reaction to the toxin, a red inflammation, the patient is at risk. No reaction means the person has antibodies. A reaction in both arms indicates that the person has increased sensitivity and could be a false positive.

Béla Schick created the test in 1913 in the USA, to which he emigrated from Hungary. His work reduced the death rate from the disease, with later immunisation programmes meaning that diphtheria is no longer the killer it once was.

Answer: Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes is a condition caused by the failure of the body to make insulin (Type I) or where it makes insufficient insulin (Type 2). Type I is the more serious condition and is usually diagnosed in childhood while Type 2 tends to develop later in life.

The diagnosis involves testing the blood to check for the levels of glucose. Diabetes can be controlled by injections of insulin and regular testing of glucose levels to make sure these remain as stable as possible. Both the tests and insulin injections can be automated to a degree by use of an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring.

Answer: Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease which causes an overproduction of mucus. The mucus primarily affects the lungs and digestive system so people with the illness have problems breathing and obtaining sufficient nutrients from their food. The pin prick test carried out on new born babies can indicate problems, but the sweat chloride test is carried out on children who have frequent chest infections and/or are failing to gain weight as they should.

The test collects sweat, which is stimulated by the use of chemical pads, from the patient. Those who have cystic fibrosis have higher levels of salt (sodium chloride) in their sweat. The test is reliable and non invasive. There is no cure for cystic fibrosis at the time of writing this quiz, but treatment can control it to a degree.

Answer: Breast cancer

Also called breast screening, a mammogram is an x-ray of the breasts to look for early changes in the tissue - these may indicate the early stages of breast cancer. Each breast is x-rayed twice, from above and from the side, while squeezed between plates top and bottom to keep it still. The procedure is uncomfortable but shouldn't be painful.

The groundwork for the mammogram was carried out by a German doctor named Albert Saloman in 1913, who used x-rays on post-mastectomy patients. Its use as a preventative measure dates from the late 1960s in the USA and has been used by the UK's National Health Service since 1988.