Ammonia is a waste product naturally produced in the body. It primarily comes from the digestion of protein by bacteria in the intestines. If not processed by the liver and cleared from the body appropriately, excess ammonia can accumulate in the blood and pass from the blood into the brain, where it is toxic.
Conditions associated with “low” ammonia levels include the following:
- Hypertension
- Associated with some antibiotics
Conditions Associated with “high” ammonia levels include the following:
- Inherited urea cycle defect
- Hemolytic disease in infants
“High” ammonia levels when combined with decreased glucose levels include the following:
- Reye syndrome
- Liver or kidney damage
- Hepatic encephalopathy
Other states associated that can affect ammonia levels include the following:
- Severe gastrointestinal bleeding
- Muscle activity
- Excessive tourniquet use to collect blood samples
Drugs that can increase ammonia levels include the following:
- Alcohol
- Barbiturates
- Diuretics
- Valproate
- Narcotics
- Smoking
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Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, Serum, Ammonia, Angiotensin-1-Converting Enzyme, Beta-2 Glycoprotein I Ab, IgA, Bicarbonate (HCO3), Serum, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), D-Dimer, Factor IX Activity, Factor VII Activity, Factor VIII Activity, Factor X Activity, Factor XI Activity, Ferritin, Ferritin (female range), Fibrinogen Activity, Fibrinogen Antigen, Haptoglobin, Iron, IRON (Serum), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Large Unstained Cells (LUC), Large Unstained Cells (Percent), Magnesium, RBC, Nucleated red blood cell (NRBC), Plateletcrit (PCT), Reticulocyte Count, Thrombocytes, Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), Transferrin, Transferrin saturation (Iron Saturation), UIBC
