Haemoglobin - plasma

Last updated: Sunday, 14, March, 2004

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Item Process
Specimen

5 mL in EDTA or heparin tube.

Venepuncture must be atraumatic to avoid lysis of red cells.

Method

Spectrophotometry.

Reference Interval

<10 mg/L.

Application

Rarely required for documentation of intravascular haemolysis.

Interpretation

Evidence of intravascular haemolysis where the capacity of haptoglobin to bind free haemoglobin is exceeded.

Elevated levels in haemolytic transfusion reactions, microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (including prosthetic valve disease, PNH, march haemoglobinuria).

Reference

Dacie JV and Lewis SM. Practical Haematology. 8th ed. Churchill Livingstone 1995.