Cholinestrase test

During a cholinestrase test, a needle is inserted into a vein and blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. The sample is taken to the laboratory for evaluation. The lab evaluates the enzymes acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase, which act to break down acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a critical chemical in the transmission of nerve impulses.

Review Date: 06/24/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.