BLOOD FOLIC ACID (PTEROYLGLUTAMIC ACID, FOLACIN, FOLATE)
Purpose of the test:
Helps confirm diagnosis of megaloblastic anemia
Helps distinguish between folic-acid deficiency and vitamin B-12
deficiency
Assesses the amount of folic acid stored during pregnancy. An
inadequate dietary intake can cause a deficiency, especially during
pregnancy
Patient preparation:
Don't eat any food or drink any liquid for at least 12 hours before
the test. Do not drink any alcohol for 24 hours before the
test.
Time before test results available:
Test requires only a few minutes in the laboratory. Time before
results are reported to the doctor or patient varies from a few
minutes to a few days.
Normal values:
Folic-acid values range from 2 to 14ng/ml
What "high" or "increased" may indicate:
Leukemia
Liver disease
What "low" or "decreased" may indicate:
Inadequate ingestion of folic acid from natural sources (common in
vegetarians)
Malabsorption syndromes
Hyperthyroidism
Pernicious anemia
Taking these drugs may affect test results:
Phenytoin
Pyrimethamine
Other factors that may affect test results:
Alcohol
Failure to fast overnight
If tourniquet is applied on the arm too long (over 1 minute), it
may cause an inaccurate test result. Request another sample to be
collected to ensure accuracy.
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