Anion gap: Difference between revisions

No edit summary
(wording and addition of iodide)
Line 42: Line 42:
**Marked hyperlipidemia
**Marked hyperlipidemia
***Leads to overestimation of plasma Cl conc)
***Leads to overestimation of plasma Cl conc)
**Bromide intoxication (e.g. for [[myasthenia gravis]] and some herbal medications)
**Elevated serum bromide (e.g. for [[myasthenia gravis]] and some herbal medications)
***Assay mistakenly reads Br as Cl
***Assay mistakenly reads Br as Cl
**Elevated serum iodide


*AG falls by 2.5 meq/L for every 1 g/dL reduction in albumin concentration
*AG falls by 2.5 meq/L for every 1 g/dL reduction in albumin concentration

Revision as of 13:00, 8 June 2015

Background

AG = Na - (Cl + HCO3)

Normal Anion Gap = 12+/-4 (8-16)

Cutoffs for "normal" Anion Gap are laboratory and equipment specific. Newer technology and equipment have been shown to measure "low" AG in otherwise normal, healthy people.[1][2]

Elevated Anion Gap

Differential Diagnosis

MUDPILES

Also:

Low Anion Gap

Differential Diagnosis

  • Lab error
  • Decreased "unmeasured" anions
    • Hypoalbuminemia
  • Increased "unmeasured" cations
  • Increased cationic paraprotein
  • Multiple myeloma
    • Polyclonal IgG gammopathy
  • Pseudo
    • Severe Hypernatremia (>170 meq/L)
      • True conc of Na is underestimated
    • Marked hyperlipidemia
      • Leads to overestimation of plasma Cl conc)
    • Elevated serum bromide (e.g. for myasthenia gravis and some herbal medications)
      • Assay mistakenly reads Br as Cl
    • Elevated serum iodide
  • AG falls by 2.5 meq/L for every 1 g/dL reduction in albumin concentration

See Also

Anion Gap and Osmolar Gap (High)

Sources

  1. Jurado RL, del Rio C, Nassar G, Navarette J, Pimentel JL Jr. "Low anion gap." South Med J. 1998;91(7):624
  2. Winter SD, Pearson JR, Gabow PA, Schultz AL, Lepoff RB. "The fall of the serum anion gap." Arch Intern Med. 1990;150(2):311