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Laboratory Medicine

Test Directory / Urate

Urate

Brown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin

TestUrate
Common AbbreviationsURA
ProfileNA
Tube typeBrown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin
Clinical IndicationHyperuricaemia is divided into primary and secondary classifications, involving over production or reduced elimination. Gout is the most common example of primary hyperuricaemia. Secondary hyperuricaemia is associated with many conditions, for example, psoriasis, starvation and chemotherapy. Hypouricaemia may result from decreased uric acid production, for example allopurinol therapy (a drug used to treat gout) and some hereditary purine metabolism diseases. Hypouricaemia may also be due to decreased renal uric acid excretion, which may occur in AIDS, Fanconi syndrome and severe burns. Quantitation of urinary uric acid excretion may assist in the selection of appropriate treatment for hyperuricaemia.
Specimen TypeBlood
Sample typeSerum or plasma
Minimum Volume0.5mL If requesting more than 10 tests please send an additional brown clotted serum sample.
Special PrecautionsNo special requirements
Stability4 days at 15-25°C and 5 days at 2-8°C
Turnaround TimeUrgent: 2 hours Inpatient: 4 hours Outpatient/ GP: 24 hours
LaboratoryYork and Scarborough
Reference IntervalMale: 200-430 umol/L Female: 140-360 umol/L (Recommended by the Pathology Harmonisation Reference Group)
LimitationsDicynone / Etamsylate, Methimazole, N-Acetyl Cysteine and Calcium dobesilate may cause falsely low results. In very rare cases gammopathy, especially IgM (Waldenstöm’s macroglobulinaemia), may cause unreliable results.
Notes
York Hospital's car park.

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