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Procedures & Tests Beginning With N
8 procedures and tests in this guide begin with the letter N. Every name links to a plain-language page covering what the procedure is, how to prepare, what happens during it, and what recovery involves.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X
| Procedure / test | Category | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Nasal cautery for nosebleeds | Minor Procedures & Pain | Nasal cautery seals a bleeding blood vessel inside the nose, usually at the front of the nasal septum (Little's area), using a chemical (silver nitrate stick) or an electric/heat cautery device, often under endoscopic view. |
| Nasal endoscopy | Endoscopy | Nasal endoscopy (nasendoscopy) examines the inside of the nose, sinuses openings, throat and voice box using a thin flexible camera passed through the nose. It is a standard ENT clinic test. |
| Native nephrectomy (kidney removal) | Kidney & Dialysis | A nephrectomy is an operation to remove a kidney, either partially (partial nephrectomy — removing a tumour with a margin, preserving the rest) or completely (radical/simple nephrectomy). Most are done by keyhole or robotic surgery; some need an open operation. |
| Nephrostomy insertion | Kidney & Dialysis | A nephrostomy is a thin tube placed through the skin of the back directly into the kidney to drain urine to a bag outside the body. It bypasses a blockage in the ureter (the tube from kidney to bladder). |
| Nerve blocks for chronic pain (including facet joint and epidural) | Minor Procedures & Pain | Nerve blocks for chronic pain place local anaesthetic (sometimes with steroid) near a nerve or joint to reduce pain and help diagnosis — for example facet joint injections (small spinal joints in back pain), medial branch blocks (the nerves supplying those joints), epidural steroid injections (space around the spinal cord for leg pain from disc or stenosis), and peripheral nerve blocks. |
| Nerve conduction studies and EMG | Brain & Nerves | Nerve conduction studies (NCS) measure how fast and how strongly electrical signals travel along nerves, using surface electrodes and small electrical pulses. EMG (electromyography) uses a fine needle electrode in muscles to listen to their electrical activity, distinguishing nerve problems from muscle problems and pinpointing where a nerve is damaged. |
| Newborn hearing screening | Screening | Newborn hearing screening checks a baby's hearing response in the first days or weeks of life, using soft sounds played into the ear and measuring the ear's echo (automated otoacoustic emissions) and, if needed, the brain's response to sound (automated auditory brainstem response). |
| Newborn screening (heel prick / blood spot) | Screening | The newborn blood spot test takes a few drops of blood from the baby's heel onto a card, usually at about five days old, to screen for a panel of rare but serious conditions — including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, congenital hypothyroidism, PKU and several metabolic disorders (the panel varies by country). |
Please note: This page is educational information about a medical procedure or test. It does not replace the instructions of your own care team, who know your situation and whose preparation, fasting and medication advice you should follow if it differs from anything here. If you have symptoms that worry you, or an appointment you do not understand, contact your clinical team.