Jeraiby Mohammed Abdullah
Department of Basic Medical Science (Medical Biochemistry), Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Ann Afr Med. 2025 Jul 1;24(3):573-578. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_80_24. Epub 2025 May 30.
The aim of this study was to investigate the laboratory sample acceptance criteria, ammonia analysis, and the reporting of ammonia results and raise awareness of the new guidelines.
It is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in the clinical laboratories of the hospital, KSA. Furthermore, the study used electronic questionnaires. A questionnaire was distributed to clinical biochemistry laboratories in Saudi Arabia. The results were collected and compared to updated best practice guidelines on hyperammonemia issued by the Metabolic Biochemistry Network (MetBio.net).
This study examined laboratory practices in ammonia analysis. EDTA tubes are widely used (78.0%) for blood/plasma ammonia measurement. Most laboratories prioritize sample delivery on ice (100%) and fast-track samples for ammonia analysis (95.1%). Awareness of ammonia analysis criteria includes automated methods for hemolysis assessment (61.0%) and rejection of grossly hemolyzed samples (92.7%). The enzymatic method is predominant (97.6%). Concerns about icterus and lipemia impact (80.5% and 85.4%, respectively) are noted. Reporting practices vary, with 65.9% setting specific thresholds for critical limits.
This study offers insights into current ammonia analysis practices, identifying areas for improvement. Aligning with literature, it emphasizes the need for ongoing education and guideline updates for consistent and accurate severe hyperammonemia diagnosis and management.
本研究旨在调查实验室样本验收标准、氨分析以及氨结果报告情况，并提高对新指南的认识。
这是一项描述性横断面研究。该研究在沙特阿拉伯王国医院的临床实验室进行。此外，研究使用了电子问卷。向沙特阿拉伯的临床生物化学实验室发放了问卷。收集结果并与代谢生物化学网络（MetBio.net）发布的关于高氨血症的最新最佳实践指南进行比较。
本研究考察了氨分析的实验室操作。乙二胺四乙酸（EDTA）管被广泛用于血液/血浆氨的测量（78.0%）。大多数实验室优先在冰上运送样本（100%）并对氨分析采用快速通道样本（95.1%）。氨分析标准的认知包括溶血评估的自动化方法（61.0%）和拒收严重溶血样本（92.7%）。酶法占主导地位（97.6%）。注意到对黄疸和脂血影响的担忧（分别为80.5%和85.4%）。报告做法各不相同，65.9%设定了危急值的特定阈值。
本研究为当前氨分析操作提供了见解，确定了改进领域。与文献一致，强调需要持续教育和更新指南，以实现一致且准确的严重高氨血症诊断和管理。
