What is a common cause of falsely elevated ammonia levels?

Falsely elevated ammonia levels in the laboratory setting can indeed be influenced by various factors regarding specimen handling and patient conditions. One of the key reasons improper specimen collection can lead to inaccurate results is due to the sensitivity of ammonia in the blood. Ammonia levels can be significantly affected by contamination with urea or by the presence of other compounds that might be released during sample collection. For example, if the specimen is not collected in a proper manner such as not using the correct anticoagulant or if the sample is exposed to air, ammonia can be artificially increased.

While dehydration of the patient can also impact laboratory results, it is less directly related to falsely elevating ammonia specifically compared to the nuances involved in how the specimen is collected. Delayed transport of the specimen can lead to changes in metabolism that affect various biochemical levels, but again, the direct influence on ammonia levels is less significant than the issues that arise during collection. Hemolysis can certainly affect numerous analytes, but the effect on ammonia measurements specifically is less profound compared to the systematic effects of collection methods. Thus, acknowledging the complexities of ammonia measurements, improper specimen collection emerges as the primary contributor to false elevations in levels.