Many medicines may interfere with a chemical analysis. Recognizing the problem may avoid clinical errors related to an invalid measurement.
Features of a drug interference with a laboratory test - all of the following:
(1) The laboratory result is lower or higher than it actually is.
(2) The laboratory test is performed by a method that is subject to interference.
(3) The patient is taking a medication that can interfere with the method.
(4) The appropriate result is obtained by either testing the sample by a method that is not affected by the drug or the patient is retested after the drug is discontinued.
Unfortunately many cases of drug interference go unrecognized.
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