Biochemistry Requests

Electronic Requesting

Wherever possible, all requesting of Biochemistry tests should be done electronically using Sunquest ICE (further details here) - please contact your local trainer. Any problems, please contact Yoni Parshan on ext 2604.

If Anglia ICE is not available, joint Biochemistry/Haematology request forms should be used instead:

Request Forms

These must be completed correctly with details of the patient's full name, date of birth, sex, district number, consultant code, location, requesting doctor's name, bleep number and patient clinical details. Use addressograph labels on request forms but not on patient samples. Unlabelled specimens will not be accepted for analysis.

Urgent requests must be marked on the request form: all tests require Joint Biochemistry / Haematology forms.

Failure to include the above information will result in delays and the sample may not be analysed.

Urgent Requests

Urgent requests need to be marked clearly on the request form. Do not contact the laboratory if the urgent tests required are part of the routine biochemistry tests (see below). If other non-routine biochemistry tests are required urgently (e.g.lactate), these need to be pre-arranged with the Duty Biochemist. Results will be telephoned or bleeped back to the requesting doctor if they are grossly abnormal and present a clinical emergency, or if telephoning has been pre-arranged with the laboratory. The results should also be available on the ward through Anglia ICE.

Routine Biochemistry Tests

Requests received for routine clinical biochemistry (U&E, LFT, bone profile, magnesium, cardiac enzymes, amylase, CRP, urate, cholesterol, triglycerides, iron, arterial gases, salicylate, paracetamol, glucose, CSF protein and glucose, random urine analysis and similar tests on pleural and ascitic fluid) will be processed the same day with a turnaround time of less than 4 hours from receipt at sample reception. Routine blood tests can usually be done on 5 ml of blood (yellow lid bottle); glucose testing requires a fluoride oxalate plasma sample (grey lid bottle).

'Out of hours' Biochemistry

Assays available 24 hours a day without prior discussion include all of the routine biochemistry tests. Other tests may be performed but require prior discussion with the laboratory by bleeping the on-call BMS on 532, who may refer the request to the on-call Biochemist. For advice on result interpretation out of hours, ask the switchboard to contact the on-call Biochemist on the air-call bleep.