Walk into the Clinical Blood Sciences lab at Croydon University Hospital and you can’t miss them: a pillar covered in laminated wall charts, each one a grid of red and green marker strokes climbing towards a 95% goal line. They track urgent turnaround times for tests like troponin, U&Es and CRP, day by day, month by month. They’re simple. They’re visible. And according to the team behind them, they’re changing how the lab works.
Faecal alpha-1 antitrypsin
| Category | Immunology and PRU |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Weekly |
Additional information
We are pleased to announce that this test is now available again.
Indications: Investigation of suspected protein losing enteropathy (PLE)
In protein losing enteropathy, serum proteins are lost into the gut. One way to assess this is to measure the concentration of alpha-1 antitrypsin in stool samples. Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protease inhibitor, making it resistant to degradation by proteases in the stool sample.
Sample type: Random stool sample of at least 1g.
Method: A 1/10 saline extract is prepared of the stool sample and the filtered extract is analysed by rate nephelometry.
Reference range: 0.00 – 0.48 mg/gww (grams wet weight of faeces)
Turnaround time: 7 working days. A faster turnaround time is possible for clinically urgent cases. Call the Immunology Consultants on 020 8725 5106 to arrange.
Instructions for external laboratories
Samples should be frozen promptly and transported to our laboratory on dry ice. Alternatively a saline extract can be made, filtered, and transported to our laboratory at ambient temperature. Samples should be sent to:
Protein Reference Unit
South West London Pathology
St George’s Hospital
Blackshaw Road
Tooting
London SW17 OQT
For service or price enquiries, please contact the Immunology laboratory on 020 8725 0025 or email immunologylabswlp@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
For any clinical queries, please contact the Immunology Consultants on 020 8725 5106 or email immunologyclinicalenquiries@stgeorges.nhs.uk.
Lab Tests Online UK
Lab Tests Online - UK is a website written by practising laboratory doctors and scientists to help you understand the many clinical laboratory tests that are used in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease.
- Search Tests