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
With the recent resurgence in cases in Canterbury, largely due to the Omicron BA.5 subvariant we are seeing an increase in demand right across the health system. Presentations to our Christchurch ED and Ashburton’s AAU are higher than ever and admission rates are high, which means we have a shortage of resourced beds.
Recently, we have seen too many unwell people coming to visit someone in hospital and too many that cannot or will not wear a medical mask. This increases the risk to vulnerable people in hospital. For these reasons we need to everything we can to minimise these risks.
We have therefore tightened visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury hospitals and health facilities.
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.
Usually requested together with urine porphyrins and PBG.
May include otherwise unexplained abdominal pain, neurological or psychotic features, skin lesions.
Lipids/Trace Metals
PORS
2 weeks
3376
1
Fresh faecal sample protected from light.
Paediatric sample - 1 gm faeces (approx). Protect from light.
Chilled (2 - 8 degrees Celsius)
If overnight - Chilled (2 - 8 degrees Celsius)
1 gm faeces, walnut size sample Protect from light. Fridge
Raised faecal porphyrins may indicate an underlying porphyria, although may be secondary to bacterial contamination of the stool or haemorrhage into the GI tract.
If raised, HPLC profiling will usually be added for metabolite profiling which will give an indication of underlying porphyria and which type.
For example, faecal iso-coproporphyrin is regarded as a hallmark of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT).
Faecal CIII:CI ratio is elevated in hereditary copro-porphyria (HCP).
Urine and blood porphyrins often provide useful adjunctive diagnostic information.
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.
Of the acute porphyrias (AIP, VP, HCP), faecal porphyrins are not raised in AIP.
<200umol/Kg dry weight
Extraction, Spectrophotometric scan
$27.23 (Exclusive of GST)
3376
Porphyrins are very light sensitive. Place sample pottle into a brown paper bag or wrap in foil.
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 tests by arrangement.