Laboratory Medicine
Test Directory / Salicylate
Salicylate
Brown clotted serum, gel barrier
| Test | Salicylate |
|---|---|
| Common Abbreviations | SAL |
| Profile | NA |
| Tube type | Brown clotted serum, gel barrier |
| Clinical Indication | Measurement of salicylate is important in cases of suspected overdose to assess the severity of toxicity. It is important to be aware that toxic doses of salicylate may cause pylorospasm which results in delayed absorption. In such cases peak concentrations may not be reached for upto 6 hours. Acute overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, dehydration, hypernea & metabolic acidosis. |
| Specimen Type | Blood |
| Sample type | Serum |
| Minimum Volume | 0.5mL If requesting more than 10 tests please send an additional brown clotted serum sample. |
| Special Precautions | No special requirements |
| Stability | 1 week at 2 - 8°C |
| Turnaround Time | Urgent: 2 hours Inpatient: 4 hours Outpatient/ GP: 24 hours |
| Laboratory | York and Scarborough |
| Reference Interval | When used as an anti-inflammatory: Adults: <350 mg/L Children: <280 mg/L |
| Limitations | Lipaemic and icteric samples are not suitable for analysis. P-aminosalicylic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were found to give falsely elevated results. |
| Notes |
