Red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell in your body from your lungs. Your cells require oxygen to grow, reproduce and remain healthy. G6PD deficit occurs when you do not have enough G6PD. This is a hereditary condition that primarily affects men. G6PD deficiency can result in the death of red blood cells. Haemolytic anaemia occurs when the body's red blood cells are destroyed quicker than they can be replaced. When you have haemolytic anaemia, your cells do not receive enough oxygen.
What is the G6PD Quantitative Test?
Red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell in your body from your lungs. Your cells require oxygen to grow, reproduce and remain healthy. G6PD deficit occurs when you do not have enough G6PD. This is a hereditary condition that primarily affects men. G6PD deficiency can result in the death of red blood cells. Haemolytic anaemia occurs when the body's red blood cells are destroyed quicker than they can be replaced. When you have haemolytic anaemia, your cells do not receive enough oxygen.
A G6PD test detects the presence of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in your blood. An enzyme is a protein that is essential for cell activity. G6PD promotes proper red blood cell (RBC) activity. It also shields them from potentially dangerous by-products that might build up when your body fights an illness or as a result of some treatments. A deficiency of G6PD may make RBCs more prone to breaking down. A G6PD test is a basic blood test that takes a sample of your blood. G6PD deficits are routinely tested for.
What is the Purpose of the G6PD Quantitative Test?
G6PD (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency should be investigated. G6PD insufficiency is the most prevalent enzymatic disease of red blood cells in humans, affecting over 400 million people globally. The clinical manifestation of G6PD mutations includes a variety of Haemolytic disorders. Affected people are often asymptomatic, but many have episodic anaemia and a few have chronic haemolysis.
Most persons with G6PD deficiency have no symptoms until they are exposed to particular "triggers" that cause red blood cell death. Triggers include:
- Fava beans, often known as wide beans,
- Other medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and aspirin
G6PD deficiency test, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase test, and other names.
What Does the G6PD Quantitative Test Diagnose?
G6PD enzyme testing is used to detect and treat G6PD deficiency. It might be used to detect infants who had unexplained chronic jaundice as newborns. Nowadays, neonates are not regularly checked for G6PD deficiency; however, this varies by state. A G6PD test is usually given after a clinician has ruled out all other possible reasons for anaemia and jaundice. Theyโll perform the test once a haemolytic episode has subsided.
G6PD testing may also be used to aid in the identification of persons of any age who have experienced unexplained bouts of haemolytic anaemia, jaundice, or dark urine. If the person had a recent viral or bacterial infection or was exposed to a recognised trigger (such as fava beans, a "sulfa" medication, or naphthalene), followed by a haemolytic episode, G6PD deficiency may be examined. A quantitative test will be used to confirm the quantity of enzyme activity. The test could also be mandated by your doctor to validate the results of earlier blood tests or to monitor your medical routine.
Why Do You Need a G6PD Quantitative Test?
G6PD enzyme testing is usually done when a person exhibits signs and symptoms of Haemolytic anaemia. Testing may be performed after someone has experienced an episode of elevated RBC destruction but before the crisis has subsided. Unless you engage with a trigger, you usually do not acquire haemolytic symptoms. The following are examples of haemolytic symptom triggers:
- Infections can be bacterial or viral.
- Antibiotics, anti-malarial medications, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs).
- Acetylsalicylic acid or Aspirin
(this test hence is ordered sometimes before starting certain sulpha drugs , antimalaria drugs etc by your physician )
Signs of haemolytic anaemia include:
- Fainting (syncope) (syncope).
- Rapid heartbeat (heart palpitations).
- Shortness of breath (Dyspnoea)
- Urine has a red or brown hue.
- Skin that has been washed or that is pale
- Yellowing of your skin or eyes called jaundice
Newborn screening may be undertaken during the first day or two following birth. Infants who have persistent jaundice may require a G6PD test. Jaundice is typical in neonates, but if it lasts more than two weeks and has no evident explanation, your provider may offer a G6PD test. If you have a family history of G6PD deficiency, your infant may also be tested for it.
Preparation and Procedure of the G6PD Quantitative Test
Tell the nurse who is drawing your blood if you are afraid of needles (trypanophobia). You may wish to do breathing exercises, look away from the needle, or bring a buddy for support.
A tiny blood sample is used by healthcare practitioners to examine your G6PD levels. During the blood test, your healthcare provider will:
- Inserts a needle into one of your arm veins.
- A tiny blood sample is taken.
- Removes the needle and applies a bandage with a cotton pad to the affected region.
- G6PD blood tests are often rapid and painless. These frequently take less than five minutes.
Healthcare practitioners obtain blood samples from newborns by gently pricking the baby's heel. The physician takes a little amount of blood and applies a bandage to the affected region. As the needle is inserted, your baby may feel a slight prick. Their heel may also be somewhat bruised. The pain and bruises normally subside rapidly.
Understanding of the G6PD Quantitative Test Results
Normal range:
Normal G6PD activity is defined as 10.15-14.71 U/g Hb in newborns and 6.75-11.95 U/g Hb in adults.
Interpretation:
- A male with a normal G6PD enzyme level is unlikely to have a deficit, and if anaemia is present, it is most likely due to another reason. If the test was conducted during a bout of haemolytic anaemia, it should be repeated several weeks later when the RBC population has had time to refill and mature.
- If your results suggest that you have less G6PD than usual, you have a G6PD deficit. But, depending on your unique health history and exposure to triggers, your symptoms and risk of haemolytic anaemia may differ.
- Women who have slightly lower than normal levels of G6PD may be "carriers" of a G6PD deficit. It suggests they have one faulty G6PD gene and one normal G6PD gene. These women seldom develop symptoms because their regular G6PD genes produce enough healthy red blood cells. Nonetheless, they run the danger of passing on the faulty gene to their offspring. Male children are more prone to acquire G6PD symptoms than female children.
G6PD is more abundant in younger cells and reticulocytes. For these reasons, following a haemolytic crisis, when only younger erythrocytes and reticulocytes are available, G6PD readings may be falsely normal. These "false-negative" (i.e., falsely normal or high) readings are concerning since the most seriously deficient red cells have already been eliminated from circulation by haemolysis.
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