Rapid detection of intact FGF-23 in tumor tissue from patients with oncogenic osteomalacia.

for patient safety. For example, our third patient presented to the emergency department with epigastric abdominal pain. After the spurious ethanol was reported, a presumptive diagnosis of alcoholic gastritis was made, and the diagnosis of acetaminophen toxicity and therapy with N-acetylcysteine was substantially delayed. Until the manufacturer can address this issue, we have implemented a policy requiring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) to be measured in all patients with ethanol concentrations 5 mmol/L. Out of concern that hepatocellular necrosis may have cause spurious ethanol elevation, when the ALT is 500 U/L, we refer the specimen to another local hospital for ethanol analysis using their Dade Behring RXL MAX to get a rapid preliminary confirmation and by gas chromatography (GC) for a final confirmation. Our experience serves as a reminder that laboratories should inquire how the manufacturers of their ethanol assays have addressed the issue of dehydrogenase interference.