Inside Diagnostics
Sheila Boss, PhD, FCACB Discipline Head, Biochemistry and IRL Laboratory Director, LifeLabs ON
The need for fasting presents a significant inconvenience to patients, is a challenge for some (particularly seniors, children and diabetic patients), and impacts compliance. LifeLabs’ recent review of collection methods, the scientific literature, and clinical guidelines has led to changes to patient fasting requirements for a number of assays.
Table 1 lists tests that must still be performed using a fasting specimen and those for which a fasting specimen is preferred but not required. All others may be collected using a non-fasting specimen.
