Amylase serum

Amylase serum

Preferred Specimen(s) 1 mL serum

Transport Container Red-top tube, serum separator tube (SST®), plastic screw-cap vial

Transport Temperature

• Ambient 7 days,
• Refrigerated 3 weeks

Reject Criteria

• Hemolysis
• Lipemia

Methodology Spectrophotometry

Clinical Significance The major sources of amylase are the pancreas and the salivary glands. The most common cause of elevation of serum amylase is inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). In acute pancreatitis, serum amylase begins to rise within 6-24 hours, remains elevated for a few days and returns to normal in 3-7 days. Other causes of elevated serum amylase are inflammation of salivary glands (mumps), biliary tract disease and bowel obstruction. Elevated serum amylase can also be seen with drugs (e.g., morphine) that constrict the pancreatic duct sphincter preventing excretion of amylase into the intestine.

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