Serum and tissue antioxidant capacity in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia investigated using an enhanced chemiluminescent reaction

We compared plasma phosphate concentrations in general practice patients and hospital inpatients and outpatients over an 8-month period. The distribution of results in all three groups was similar and 12-16 % of results were at or below 0.8 mmol/L. In general practice patients, 8.3% of results from males and 12.1% from females were below the lower limit of their respective reference ranges. Eighteen of these patients (0.2% of results) had plasma phosphate concentrations <=0.4 mmol/L. On follow-up, only two of these patients had any attributable cause for their severe hypophosphataemia; in the remainder, it was unexpected and unexplained. Hypophosphataemia in outpatients and general practice patients is more common than has previously been appreciated. We present a strategy for further investigation of these patients.