| Specimen requirement | Adult patient: Special EDTA tube for trace elements Minimum blood volume: 2.6 mL |
| Paediatric patient: Special EDTA tube for trace elements Minimum blood volume: 1.3 mL |
|
| Authorisation code required | Yes |
| 24 Hr available service | No |
| Method | Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) |
| Reference interval |
Whole blood:
70 - 280 nmol/L
(Source: The Scottish Trace Element and Micronutrient Diagnostic and Research Laboratory (STEMDRL), NHS, UK http://www.traceelements.co.uk/manganese.asp |
| Clinical indication | Suspected manganese toxicity (extrapyramidal features) in a patient with a history of possible exposure - miners, steelworkers, pigment workers |
| Result interpretation |
The commonest cause of elevated blood manganese is contamination of the specimen by manganese compounds in the environment and contaminating the skin and blood collection equipment. Toxicity is not seen with slight elevations; occurs in occupational exposure and chronic liver disease. Clinical disease due to manganese deficiency has not been convincingly demonstrated in humans. |
| Measurement of uncertainty | See table. |
| Frequency of measurement | Weekly |