For patients of the Polyclinic, we offer Physician Assistant Services, which includes immunizations (including flu shots), allergy shots, intramuscular injections, ECGs, ear syringing and H.Pylori Testing. Our Physician Assistant Services Centre hours are Monday through Friday 9am-4pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm.. Please note that on occasion, due to unforeseen circumstances our Physician Assistant Services may close early.
For other laboratory services, including bloodwork and urine samples, we are pleased to announce that Lifelabs has opened a public laboratory onsite available to ALL patients in the community.
Laboratory will not accept referrals past 6 months old.
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Bloodwork
Several lab tests require a 24-hour fasting period prior to performing the blood draw. Your doctor will inform you when necessary.
Bloodwork referrals are valid only for 6 months since it was issued by your treating physician.
For lab tests not insured under OHIP patients must pay before beginning any test. Uninsured tests will not be performed unless pre-payment is provided. Payment options accepted are Credit Card or cheque made payable to LifeLabs LLP. To see list of uninsured bloodwork and for prices please click here.
Immunization
The medical field has made great strides in the immunization field over the last number of years. Getting immunized is extremely important for people of all ages to prevent numerous life threatening diseases. Immunization is a low risk, highly successful way to prevent disease and illness. Getting immunized is a very safe procedure and has become an integral element for preventing disease around the world. All vaccines given at Polyclinic Laboratory are certified by Health Canada and are medically tested and safe. No matter how healthy you are, there are diseases that are not preventable unless you are vaccinated.
Important! Please make sure to bring your Personal Immunization Record for our doctors/lab staff to review and update after the immunization.
Please speak to you physician before getting an immunization.
Some risks from vaccination include a sore arm or a fever. If any side effect more severe occurs please contact a physician. For a full list of possible side effects from vaccination, handouts are available at the Polyclinic.
For the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule for Ontario please click here. For the Seasonal Influenza Immunization Consent form please click here.
Before travelling, ask a doctor if there are any immunizations they recommend for your targeted destination. Some places in the world are more prone to spread life-threatening diseases. Many of these diseases are easily avoidable with proper immunization.
All patients must bring a physician referral in order to receive any vaccination. However, for influenza vaccinations only, a patient 16 years of age or older must either bring a physician referral or sign a consent form in order to receive the vaccination.
Allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, helps the body fight off allergies by making it more aware of a given allergy and build up a tolerance to it. Allergy Shots do not cure an allergy, but can greatly reduce the symptoms and improve the body’s tolerance to the allergy. This treatment is often recommended if a patient is symptomatic for more than 3-4 months per year or if medications are ineffective.
Description of Injection
For the first few months the patient will come in twice a week and get a shot into their arm containing small amounts of the given allergen. After a time the dose will slowly be increased as the body starts reacting less and less to each dose. The patient will be asked to stay at the office for about 30 minutes after the test so they can be monitored for any side effects that may occur. These side effects include itchy eyes, a sore or tight throat, shortness of breath, and a runny nose.
Allergy Shots
After the first few months the amount of visits will decrease to every two weeks for the next 4-5 months. Finally, for the next 3-5 years patient will be asked to come in once a month for a shot to ensure your body’s tolerance to your allergy stays up. Throughout the process symptoms should steadily improve and hopefully go away. If conditions do not get better, please inform a physician so a different method can be looked at.
Allergy shots are through referral only.
Instructions
- Do not do any physical exercise 2 hours before or after your appointment because it will increase blood flow and can cause various other complications.
- Please inform your doctor of any medication you are taking as some may cause complications.
- Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant in the midst of the process.
- Some side effects include redness, swelling or irritation in the area the shot was administered. This may last for up to 8 hours. Please inform a doctor if it lasts.
- More serious symptoms include hives, sneezing, nasal congestion, and rarely, a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction can happen, causing lower blood pressure and trouble breathing. If any of these symptoms occur SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram reads the heart’s electric activity and creates linear tracings, depicting the electric activity going on in the heart for physicians to examine. These readings can help physicians diagnose irregular heartbeats, and can assess the strength of the heart, as well as the timing and speed at which the heart is functioning. Electrocardiograms are generally done to diagnose heart diseases following unexpected chest pains, heart attacks, arrhythmias, or heart failure.
Description of Test
The patient will lie on a table and small electrodes will be put onto their arms, legs and chest (patient may need to shave some of their chest hair if the electrodes are having trouble sticking). These electrodes are connected to a machine that then traces the heart’s electric activity. During the test be sure to lie still and breathe normally. This test will last about 5-10 minutes.
Instructions
1. Warn your doctor of any medication you are taking as some may skew the results of the test.
2. Remove all jewelry before beginning the test.
3. A small patch of hair may be shaved so the electrodes can stick to your chest.
4. This is a completely safe and non-invasive test with no known risks.
Ear Syringing
Description of Test
Ear Syringing is when a physician or assistant safely removes any ear wax, dead skin or other particles from the patient’s ear. This process consists of using a syringe filled with warm water and baking soda being sprayed gently into the ear until all the debris had been removed. Following the procedure it is recommended patients use Waxsol Ear Drops once a month to prevent wax build up in the future.
24-hour Urine Collection
A 24-hour Urine Collection is done to examine all of a patient’s urine over a 24 hour period. The patient will be given a container by the lab staff and for the 24-hour period whenever the patient urinates, they will do it into the prescribed container. The test will begin in the morning after the first urination of the day. From that moment on, patient must mark the time and date on the container of all urination done over the next 24 hours (including first time the next morning). All urine over that 24 hours must be in the container. Please ensure to keep the container cold throughout the 24-hour period by either keeping it in a refrigerator or in an ice box.
This test is available on a referral basis only.
If you are having this procedure please make sure to read the information sheet with further details found here.
Please note we also perform regular urinalysis testing as well. This quick urine test can detect things like blood cells, bacteria, proteins, glucose, pregnancy hormones and trace minerals.
Stool Tests
Stool tests are done to diagnose conditions that may be affecting the digestive system. Stool contains bacteria that can be found in the digestive system, and therefore analyzing it may indicate a possibility of cancer, Crohn’s disease, food poisoning, or infections.
This test is available on a referral basis only.
Description of Test
The physician will be asking for a sample of patient’s stool in a clean container provided by laboratory staff. Patient must ensure they place the specimen in the correct container as in most cases patients will be given two containers with two different sets of instructions. Make sure when producing stool to keep it dry. This means it must be done on a dry surface area including a tub, on newspaper or in a clean bin. Make sure to seal, label and shake container and then put it into the fridge. Make sure to get the stool specimen back to the lab within the next 48 hours. Do not drink alcohol or smoke the day before and the day of the collection.
If you are having this procedure please make sure to read the information sheet with further details found here.
