Stability: up to 72h at 4C. Store on ice if transit time to the laboratory is greater than 2 hours.
Please phone laboratory to advise of urgency criteria.
Units: % of total haemoglobin
Ranges:
|
Premature neonate |
0.08- 4.4% |
|
Full term neonate |
0.0 - 2.8% |
|
Adult |
0.2 - 1.5% |
|
Toxic level |
> 15% |
Uncertainty of Measurement: 0.5% up to a concentration of 20% of total haemoglobin
Methaemoglobin is haemoglobin with the iron oxidised to its ferric state. It is unable to bind oxygen, and causes hypoxia and cyanosis at high concentrations.
It is increased in methaemoglobin reductase deficiency .
Also increased due to drugs: chloroquine, isoniazid, nitrates, nitrites, sulphonamides, benzocaine, aniline dyes. Fetal hemoglobin converts to methaemoglobin more readily than adult haemoglobin; infants have an increased susceptibility to forming methaemoglobin.
See Haemoglobin M
See Methaemoglobin Reductase
Emails to chemicalpathologist@adhb.govt.nz will receive priority attention from the on-call chemical pathologist.
If the query concerns a specific patient please include the NHI number in your email.
If email is not a suitable option, please contact the on-call chemical pathologist via Lablink (Auckland City Hospital ext. 22000 or 09-3078995).
Individual chemical pathologists may be contacted but will not be available at all times.
After-hours : contact Lablink (Auckland City Hospital ext. 22000 or 09-3078995) or hospital operator for on duty staff after hours.
Dr Samarina Musaad (Clinical Lead) : SamarinaM@adhb.govt.nz ext. 22402
Dr Cam Kyle: CampbellK@adhb.govt.nz ext 22052
Dr Weldon Chiu: WeldonC@adhb.govt.nz ext. 23427
Dr Campbell Heron: CHeron@adhb.govt.nz ext. 23427
Dr Sakunthala Jayasinghe: Sakunthala@adhb.govt.nz ext. 23427