Fluid
Adult patient:
Heparin gel tube
Minimum blood volume: 5 mL
Plain bottle
Minimum volume: 10 mL
Plain bottle
Minimum volume: 10 mL
Paediatric patient:
Paediatric heparin tube
Number of vials: 1
Minimum blood volume: 1.3 mL
Authorisation code required
No
24 Hr available service
Yes
(Call extension: 3353 for express result)
No
No
Precaution
Please specify fluid type of the specimen.
Method
Spectrophotometry
Reference interval
Plasma:
| Female: | 35 - 122 U/L (at 37 °C) |
| Male: | 33 - 120 U/L (at 37 °C) |
(Source: from local population study in 2008)
Clinical indication
Clinical suspicion of acute pancreatitis
Result interpretation
Very high levels are found with acute pancreatitis, however, lipase is a more sensitive and specific indicator of this disorder.
Use of icodextrin in peritoneal dialysis may result in falsely low plasma amylase. Consider serum lipase if high index of suspicion of acute pancreatitis.
A normal amylase level does not exclude acute pancreatitis. The test is not specific, with very high levels being found in pancreatic pseudocyst, perforated duodenal ulcer and upper small bowel obstruction.
Moderately high levels are found frequently in other acute abdominal conditions.
High levels are also found in acute parotitis and macroamylasaemia, a clinically insignificant disorder described in 1.5% of (non-alcoholic) hospitalised adult patients.
Measurement of uncertainty
Frequency of measurement
Daily