Uric Acid

What this laboratory test evaluates

Uric Acid
This test measures the level of uric acid in your blood and is important for diagnosing and treating various kidney and metabolic conditions. These include kidney failure, gout, leukemia, psoriasis, and conditions causing the body to use up its tissue, such as starvation. It's also used for monitoring people receiving cancer-fighting drugs.

What patients is this test right for?This test may be recommended if you have symptoms or risk factors for the conditions mentioned above, such as joint pain and swelling (gout), or if you're undergoing certain treatments that can affect uric acid levels.

What type of sample is required for this test?1 mL serum.
A simple blood draw is needed.

Additional InformationThe assay manufacturer Beckman Coulter advises: "N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), when administered in therapeutic concentrations (for the treatment of acetaminophen overdose), has been…determined to interfere with assays for…cholesterol, uric acid" where "NAC interference may lead to falsely low results." According to Beckman Coulter, the NAC interference should be insignificant by 12 hours after completion of the initial loading dose of an IV infusion treatment regimen consisting of an initial loading dose of 150 mg/kg administered over 1 hour, a second dose of 50 mg/kg administered over 4 hours and a third dose of 100 mg/kg administered over 16 hours.

Test ResourcesInformation currently not available.

Additional test information

Serum uric acid measurements are useful in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous renal and metabolic disorders, including renal failure, gout, leukemia, psoriasis, starvation or other wasting conditions, and in patients receiving cytotoxic drugs.

Collection and processing

• Sample type: Serum
• Fasting: No
• Estimated laboratory processing: Results should be available in 2 – 5 business days after the sample is collected

How Sunridge uses laboratory information

Sunridge considers the medical question, symptoms, history, medications, prior results, and whether the finding could change care before recommending testing. A laboratory result is not interpreted in isolation and does not establish a diagnosis by itself.

Before requesting this test

Availability, collection requirements, eligibility, and processing estimates can change. Sunridge reviews each request and, when appropriate, creates the order through Fullscript. Follow the current instructions supplied with the approved order.