Taken from Original Article of Dr. Andrew Grock: A patient actively vomiting is wheeled into your ED. Within minutes IV access is obtained, and your nurse asks what tests and medicines are wanted. A liter of normal saline, ondansetron, and an H2 blocker are easy, but what labs to order? I think we can all agree on a metabolic profile to look at electrolytes and liver function tests, and a lipase level to assess for pancreatitis. But what about an amylase level?
Originally from Clinical Monster blog It is known to increase in pancreatitis, but we are already ordering a lipase level. Are we just ordering two tests for the same purpose? Which is better and does it help to order both? Sensitivity of Amylase For Pancreatitis In one study [1], among patients diagnosed with alcohol pancreatitis, 32% had a NORMAL amylase level! A second paper by Clavien et al [2], found that 20% of people with…
