Tests:Urate, Plasma

Overview
Department	Biochemistry
Test Code	PURT
Synonyms	Uric acid
Availability	Monday - Sunday, testing routinely available out of hours
Turnaround Time	2 hrs
Stability – Add test
Specimen Requirements
Specimen	Plasma Serum
Preferred	6 mL Plain Red-Top
Acceptable	4 mL Li-Hep Green-Top
Unacceptable
Specimen Transportation
Paediatric Requirements	600 µL Li-Hep Microtainer
Aliquot Requirements
Sample
Preferred Volume
Minimum Volume
Aliquot Transportation
Clinical Information
Reference Intervals	0 – 11 years              0.08 - 0.34 mmol/L   Male                         0.20 - 0.42 mmol/L Female                      0.15 - 0.36 mmol/L
Test Method	Ci8200 analyser, Abbott, Enzymatic.
Advanced Notice
Patient Preparation
Comments
Changes with the reference range may be significant in pregnancy.   The risk of gout (and probability of diagnosis) is low if the plasma urate levels are repeatedly below 0.42 mmol/L.   The risk of developing gout is three times greater if the plasma urate levels are consistently above 0.42 mmol/L.   Plasma urate levels often fall during an acute attack, so a normal plasma urate does NOT exclude the diagnosis of gout at this time.   A raised plasma urate level is not sufficient to make the diagnosis of gout, which requires:   1. Classical history of podagra;   2. Identification of urate crystals in joint fluid; or (in late cases), typical x-ray changes