This test measures the amount of amylase in the blood or urine or sometimes peritoneal fluid. Amylase is one of several enzymes produced by the pancreas to help digest carbohydrates. It is secreted through the pancreatic duct into the duodenum, where it helps break down dietary carbohydrates. Amylase is also produced by other organs, particularly the salivary glands.

Amylase is usually present in the blood and urine in small quantities. When cells in the pancreas are injured, as in pancreatitis, or the pancreatic duct is blocked by a gallstone or rarely by a pancreatic tumor, increased amounts of amylase find their way into the bloodstream, increasing concentrations in the blood and the urine, which is the excretion path for amylase from the blood

This test requires that we locate a collection site near you CLICK HERE