Q:
What is an AGAP blood test?
A:
An AGAP blood test, or an anion gap blood test, measures the levels of acids in the blood.
The word anion means negatively charged ions. And, the anion gap refers to the difference between the negative charged and positive charged electrolytes. It increases when there is an excess of acids in the blood due to disorders in the body.
In combination with an electrolyte panel (another blood test), the results tell if there is something wrong with the lungs, the kidneys, or other organ systems.
Doctors may order this test for you, when you experience shortness of breath, vomiting, abnormal heartbeat or other symptoms.
What is considered to be a normal test reading will depend largely on factors such as the patients age, gender, overall health, and medical history as well as methods used for the test. Normal test results are considered to be at 8 to 16 mEq/L without calculating potassium and 10 – 20 mEq/L with calculating potassium.
It is worth noting that different hospitals use different ranges for determining normal blood count levels. The difference in ranges is often due to the different levels of technology used to measure the ions. So whereas one hospital may use the range of 8 to 14 milliequivalents per liter as the normal range for anion gap, a hospital using a different machine may use a range of 8 to 16 milliequivalents. The normal lab values from the instrument being used to measure the ions should always be used when interpreting the anion gap level.
Keywords: AGAP; AGAP blood test; anion gap; anion gap blood test.
