Hospital visiting guidelines updated 20 July 2022: Hospital visitors must wear a surgical/medical paper mask. Fabric face coverings are no longer acceptable. See our COVID-19 pages for detailed information about hospital visiting guidelines, COVID-19 tests and care in the community advice. See www.vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz for information about vaccinations.
We are at ORANGE according to the NZ COVID-19 Protection Framework
Last updated:
9th April 2022
Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is to keep everybody safe:
By sticking to the rules above, you help keep our patients, staff, other visitors and yourself safe. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Exceptions to the ‘one visitor’ policy
Visiting patients with COVID-19
You must NOT visit the hospital if you
Exceptions for people with disabilities
An exception will be made for people with disabilities who are in hospital or have to attend an outpatient appointment – where they need a support person to access health services. For example, a sign language interpreter, support person for someone with a learning disability, or someone to assist with mobility. The support person is in addition to the one permitted visitor.
Everyone visiting our facilities must wear a mask, no exceptions
While we appreciate that some people have legitimate reasons for being exempt from wearing a mask and may even have an official card to confirm this, people who cannot or will not wear a mask cannot visit someone in hospital or attend hospital, other than to access healthcare. This is another measure to minimise the risk to vulnerable patients.
Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.
More COVID-19 information
Clinical suspicion of acute or non-acute porphyria.
May include otherwise unexplained abdominal pain, neurological or psychotic features, skin lesions.
May occasionally be requested as a corroborative test for lead poisoning.
Lipids/Trace Metals
PORS
EPP
Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin
FEP
Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin
Protoporphyrin IX
1 week
3476
1
0.2
Protect from light.
0.2
Chilled (2 - 8 degrees Celsius)
If overnight - Chilled (2 - 8 degrees Celsius)
Protect from light. Fridge
Raised blood porphyrins may indicate underlying porphyria, in particular the non-acute erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a childhood onset photosensitive disorder.
In EPP, plasma will show a fluorescence emission peak at 632nm, which is highly specific.
If EPP is suspected, it is important to send all samples – blood, urine and faeces protected from light for full evaluation which may include HPLC profiling. FECH genotyping is also available.
More commonly, blood porphyrins are raised in the context of iron deficiency as the disorder affects the final enzyme in the haem pathway, ferrochelatase which incorporates iron into protoporphyrin to form haem. Lead poisoning also leads to raised zinc protoporphyrin (blood porphyrins).
Note that a raised urine PBG is the diagnostic hallmark of an acute attack of porphyria.
A negative urine PBG during an acute symptomatic episode excludes acute porphyria as the cause.
Expected to be not raised.
Fluorimetry
$13.64 (Exclusive of GST)
3476
NB: EPP is an abreviation Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin.
For adequate screening tests for porphyria we require:
Blood: 2-5 ml heparinised blood (T34)
Urine: 10-15 ml fresh random specimen
Faeces: A stool minimum 10 g (walnut size)
Specimens should be wrapped in foil, placed in a paper bag and not exposed to direct sunlight.
Urgent testing by arrangement.
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