Laboratory Medicine
Test Directory / Paracetamol
Paracetamol
Brown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin
| Test | Paracetamol |
|---|---|
| Common Abbreviations | PAR , Acetaminophen |
| Profile | NA |
| Tube type | Brown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin |
| Clinical Indication | A mild non prescription analgesic used to treat pain and fever. Safe at recommended doses but when consumed in overdose quantities can cause severe hepatic toxicity and death. Measurment is often used in cases of suspected overdose to help guide further patient management. Early diagnosis of paracetamol overdose is important as initiation of specific therapy within 16 hours of ingestion reduces the risk of hepatic injury & decreases the rate of mortality. |
| Specimen Type | Blood |
| Sample type | Serum or plasma |
| Minimum Volume | 0.5mL If requesting more than 10 tests please send an additional brown clotted serum sample. |
| Special Precautions | No special requirements |
| Stability | 14 days at 2-8°C and 4 weeks at -20°C |
| Turnaround Time | Urgent: 2 hours Inpatient: 4 hours Outpatient/ GP: 24 hours |
| Laboratory | York and Scarborough |
| Reference Interval | Not applicable to this assay |
| Limitations | Amitrypitilline, Amphetamine, Imipramine can cause >10% negative interference. N-acetyl cysteine treatment can cause falsely low results. NAPQI may cross react in the assay (>10%) |
| Notes |
