Interference by piperacillin/tazobactam in the measurement of creatinine with the Jaffe method and of total protein with the biuret method

Goce Dimeski; Peter S Kruger

doi:10.51893/2021.2.cr1

Interference by piperacillin/tazobactam in the measurement of creatinine with the Jaffe method and of total protein with the biuret method

Crit Care Resusc. 2023 Oct 18;23(2):141-143. doi: 10.51893/2021.2.cr1. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Authors

Goce Dimeski¹, Peter S Kruger^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Chemical Pathology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland Health Pathology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
² Intensive Care Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
³ Critical Care and Anaesthesia, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Abstract

Serum creatinine and total protein are routinely measured biochemical parameters used in clinical medicine. An abnormal result caused by interference with the assay does not accurately reflect a patient's clinical state and therefore risks misleading clinicians. We report the case of a patient who had unexplainable high creatinine and total protein results. The blood collection was contaminated with intravenous fluid and the patient was receiving piperacillin/tazobactam. Additional laboratory studies demonstrated piperacillin/tazobactam was the cause of the false positive results and the elevation in both serum creatinine and protein level was dependent on the concentration of antibiotic present.

Publication types

Case Reports