ASVCP reference interval guidelines: determination of de novo reference intervals in veterinary species and other related topics.

Reference intervals (RI) are an integral component of laboratory diagnostic testing and clinical decision-making and represent estimated distributions of reference values (RV) from healthy populations of comparable individuals. Because decisions to pursue diagnoses or initiate treatment are often based on values falling outside RI, the collection and analysis of RV should be approached with diligence. This report is a condensation of the ASVCP 2011 consensus guidelines for determination of de novo RI in veterinary species, which mirror the 2008 Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations, but with language and examples specific to veterinary species.

Hyperlipidemia in acute pancreatitis. Relationship with etiology, onset, and severity of the disease.

Serum lipid (triglycerides and cholesterol) concentrations were studied in 49 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). The aims of the study were to investigate the prevalence of hyperlipidemia (HL) in patients with AP according to etiology and to evaluate whether HL precedes or is a consequence of AP. Moreover, we analyzed the relationship between HL and the development of pancreatic necrosis.