PMID- 32292285
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20210208
LR  - 20210208
IS  - 1846-7482 (Electronic)
IS  - 1330-0962 (Print)
IS  - 1330-0962 (Linking)
VI  - 30
IP  - 2
DP  - 2020 Jun 15
TI  - Dark brown serum and plasma samples: a case report.
PG  - 021002
LID - 10.11613/BM.2020.021002 [doi]
LID - 021002
AB  - This case report describes occurrence of unusual, dark brown coloration of 
      citrate plasma and serum samples in a female 68 years old patient admitted into 
      Emergency department (ED). Patient complained of nausea and vomiting, fever up to 
      38.9 degrees C, colicky pain in abdomen, diminished urinary output and yellowish skin 
      tone. Her medical history included arterial hypertension, hypothyroidism and 
      facial squamous cell carcinoma. For previous two years, she was treated with 
      tuberculostatic therapy for Mycobacterium avium positive interstitial lung 
      disease. Regular follow-up showed no signs of active disease. Upon admission to 
      ED, complete blood count (CBC) analysis showed low red blood count (RBC) (3.76 
      x10(12)/L (reference interval (RI) 3.86 - 5.08 x10(12)/L)), low haemoglobin (Hb) 
      concentration (111 g/L (RI 119 - 157 g/L)) and low haematocrit (Hct) (0.310 L/L 
      (RI 0.360 - 0.470 L/L)). Biochemistry analytes were high, with foremost lactate 
      dehydrogenase (LD) activity (2900 U/L, RI < 240 U/L). After communication with 
      the clinician, methaemoglobin measured in arterial blood gas sample was reported. 
      Patient was admitted to the Intensive care unit and upon reflex testing of 
      haptoglobin, intravascular haemolysis was confirmed. This case indicates that 
      every case of brown coloration of the serum must be promptly communicated to the 
      clinician. Reflex testing assured timely diagnosis and favourable patient 
      outcome.
CI  - Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
FAU - Dukic, Lora
AU  - Dukic L
AD  - Department of medical laboratory diagnostics, University Hospital "Sveti Duh", 
      Zagreb, Croatia.
FAU - Maric, Nikolina
AU  - Maric N
AD  - Department of emergency and intensive medicine, University Hospital "Sveti Duh", 
      Zagreb, Croatia.
FAU - Simundic, Ana-Maria
AU  - Simundic AM
AD  - Department of medical laboratory diagnostics, University Hospital "Sveti Duh", 
      Zagreb, Croatia.
AD  - Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
DEP - 20200415
PL  - Croatia
TA  - Biochem Med (Zagreb)
JT  - Biochemia medica
JID - 9610305
RN  - 2968PHW8QP (Citric Acid)
SB  - IM
MH  - Aged
MH  - *Blood Chemical Analysis
MH  - Citric Acid/*blood
MH  - *Color
MH  - Emergency Service, Hospital
MH  - Erythrocyte Count
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
PMC - PMC7138003
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - case report
OT  - critical care
OT  - extra-analytical phase
OT  - sample coloration
COIS- Potential conflict of interest: None declared.
EDAT- 2020/04/16 06:00
MHDA- 2021/02/09 06:00
PMCR- 2020/04/15
CRDT- 2020/04/16 06:00
PHST- 2019/12/25 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2020/02/24 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2020/04/16 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2020/04/16 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/02/09 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2020/04/15 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - bm-30-2-021002 [pii]
AID - 10.11613/BM.2020.021002 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2020 Jun 15;30(2):021002. doi: 10.11613/BM.2020.021002. 
      Epub 2020 Apr 15.