Clinical Biochemistry

Troponin is the standard, rising at 3 to 6 hours and remaining raised for days

A memory aid for the timing of cardiac markers after infarction.

The standard adult reference values for the basic metabolic panel

A memory aid for the normal ranges of common biochemistry results.

Each tissue releases a characteristic enzyme profile when damaged

A memory aid for which enzyme indicates which tissue.

Liver, bone, placenta or gut, distinguished by GGT and clinical context

A memory aid for finding the source of a raised ALP.

Transaminases indicate hepatocellular injury; ALP and GGT indicate cholestasis

A memory aid for interpreting the liver enzyme pattern.

Twice the sodium plus urea and glucose

A memory aid for calculating and interpreting plasma osmolality.

NAPQI depletes glutathione, causing centrilobular necrosis

A memory aid for the mechanism and monitoring of paracetamol toxicity.

Most abnormal results are explained before the sample reaches the analyser

A memory aid for the pre-analytical factors that distort biochemistry results.

Timing, binding proteins, assay interference and acute illness all distort results

A memory aid for the common traps in endocrine biochemistry.

Most are for monitoring rather than diagnosis or screening

A memory aid for the common tumour markers and their uses.