What Affects Test Results?
Which sample problem occurs when red blood cells rupture and release their contents into the sample?
What is hemolysis?
Which organ produces most plasma proteins, including albumin?
What is the liver?
Which two common methods are used to measure or estimate total protein in serum or plasma?
What are the refractometer and biuret methods?
Name one routine blood chemistry measurement used to evaluate kidney function that reflects nitrogen waste.
What is BUN or creatinine?
A dehydrated animal has an increased total protein concentration. What is one likely explanation?
What is hemoconcentration due to fluid loss?
What is the term for a sample that appears yellow because of increased bilirubin?
What is icterus?
Which protein helps maintain oncotic pressure and transports substances through the blood?
What is albumin?
How is the routine globulin value calculated?
What is total protein minus albumin?
Which kidney marker may increase earlier than creatinine as kidney function declines?
What is SDMA?
Why might creatinine be lower in an animal with reduced muscle mass?
Because less muscle mass can result in less creatinine production.
What sample interference makes serum or plasma appear cloudy or turbid because of excess lipids?
What is lipemia?
What condition describes an increased concentration of nitrogen-containing waste products in the blood?
What is azotemia?
Which protein fraction is produced primarily by the liver and helps keep fluid inside blood vessels?
What is albumin?
What does glomerular filtration rate (GFR) evaluate?
What is the rate at which fluid is filtered through the glomeruli?
A patient has low albumin. What fluid-related problem can develop because oncotic pressure decreases?
What is edema or fluid accumulation in body cavities?
What can happen to BUN when an animal is dehydrated?
What is an increase in BUN?
Which substance is present in plasma but removed during clot formation, so it is not normally present in serum?
What is fibrinogen?
Which sample generally has a higher total protein value because it retains fibrinogen?
What is plasma?
What specialized test evaluates an animal's ability to concentrate urine after water is withheld under controlled conditions?
What is the water deprivation test?
A blood sample is hemolyzed, and the measured potassium is unexpectedly high. What may explain this result?
What is the release of intracellular potassium from ruptured red blood cells?
Why should chemistry results be interpreted using the correct species- and method-specific reference interval?
What are reference intervals by species and other patient factors, as well as by testing method or analyzer.
What is the calculated relationship between albumin and globulin called?
What is the albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio?
What condition describes fluid accumulation in the abdomen that may be associated with low albumin?
What is ascites?
What does creatinine clearance help estimate?
What is glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
A patient has increased BUN, but the veterinarian also suspects dehydration. Why shouldn't the BUN result alone be used to diagnose kidney disease?
Because dehydration can increase BUN, so the result must be interpreted with other laboratory findings and the patient's clinical picture.