Pathology

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Collection & Request Instructions

Perchloric Acid must be added to the tube before blood is collected.  Please conatact laboratory for details. 

Test not available.

For further information, please contact chemical pathologist.

Processing Instructions

Pipette 1.00 ml of 1mol/L perchloric acid into a labeled, plain plastic tube ( tube need to obtained from VCGS. therefore contact lab before collection) . NB perchloric acid is highly corrosive.

• Weigh the tube and record the weight to 3 decimal places eg: 5.678 g.
• Draw 1ml (should be fairly accurately measured between 0.7 and 1.3 mls) of blood and add to tube.
• The blood will deproteinise and change to a "chocolate" colour make sure all the blood is mixed in with the acid.
• place back on ice and transport back to laboratory.
• It is important that nothing other than blood is added to the tube between the two weighings eg applying sticky labels will invalidate results.
• Weigh the tube after collection, record both weights on the request slip.

External Laboratory

Victorian Clinical Genetics Sevices (V.C.G.S) - Royal Childrens Hospital

External Transport Instructions

Spin and separate and freeze.

Transport frozen.

Notes

Measurement of pyruvate may be useful in the diagnosis of some genetic disorders of pyruvate metabolism and the respiratory chain. Lactate/pyruvate ratios are an indicator of redox status and pyruvate is almost always measured in conjunction with lactate. Intial measurement of the lactate level should always be performed as this may avoid the need for the pyruvate level to be measured.