Sulfasalazine as a cause of false-positive elevation of urinary normetanephrine in patients with adrenal mass and suspected phaeochromocytoma: a diagnostic challenge.

In patients with suspected phaeochromocytoma, biochemical screening of urine or blood for excess secretion catecholamines and/or their metabolites is performed. Elevated levels of catecholamines and metanephrines help in establishing the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma. In two patients with adrenal lesions who were subjected to biochemical testing significantly elevated urinary normetanephrines appeared to establish the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma.

Simultaneous Screening and Quantitation of Drugs and Their Metabolites in Postmortem Samples by Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Does It Provide Any Benefits?

Screening of postmortem blood and urine samples is used to identify compounds that may have contributed to an individual's death. Toxicologically significant compounds detected by the screen are then quantitated in blood to determine their likely effect upon death. In most laboratories, this is a two-step process.

Urinary calcium indices in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH): which test performs best?

Aim: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is much more common than familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH), but there is considerable overlap in biochemical features. Urine calcium indices help with the differential diagnosis, but their reliability in making this distinction is not clear. The aim of this study was to compare urinary calcium values in patients with PHPT and FHH.

Detection of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues in biological samples using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Background: Fentanyl and analogues such as butyrylfentanyl, carfentanil, 4-fluorobutyrylfentanyl, and furanylfentanyl may be either added to, or sold as, heroin. Fentanyl and carfentanil have approximately 100 and 10,000 times the potency of morphine, respectively, and there is thus a high risk of death with the use of these drugs.

Methods: We looked for fentanyl/fentanyl analogues using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) in selected biological samples obtained post-mortem February 2017-end January 2018.

An evaluation of the role of mixing techniques in the observed variation in acetylcysteine infusion concentrations.

Intravenous acetylcysteine is commonly prescribed as a course of three infusions for the management of paracetamol poisoning. Previous studies have demonstrated large variation in administered doses of intravenous acetylcysteine, which has been attributed to numerous factors, including inadequate mixing of infusion bags. The aim of this study was to determine whether the amount of mixing of infusion bags contributes significantly to this variation.

An assessment of the variation in the concentration of acetylcysteine in infusions for the treatment of paracetamol overdose.

Background: Intravenous acetylcysteine is the treatment of choice for paracetamol poisoning. A previous UK study in 2001 found that 39% of measured acetylcysteine infusion concentrations differed by >20% from anticipated concentrations. In 2012, the UK Commission on Human Medicines made recommendations for the management of paracetamol overdose, including provision of weight-based acetylcysteine dosing tables.