Measurement of serum ammonia: its use in clinical practice, pitfalls and limitations
- Metabolic Medicine Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children with UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Correspondence to Dr Alexander Broomfield, Metabolic Medicine Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children with UCL Institute of Child Health, 34 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK; Brooma{at}gosh.nhs.uk
- Received 14 April 2011
- Accepted 24 October 2011
- Published Online First 18 November 2011
Abstract
Hyperammonaemia is a potentially extremely important indicator of impairment in intermediate metabolism. However, lack of experience in sample handling and confusion about what level is significant, can lead to its devaluation as a test. The aim of this article is to help the non-metabolic specialist to decide when it is appropriate to investigate for hyperammonaemia, to discuss potential investigatory pitfalls and to help in interpretation of results.
Footnotes
-
Competing interests None.
-
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
