Adrenaline (plasma)
What it measures, and what changes the number.
Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is a hormone and chemical messenger made mainly by the inner part of the adrenal glands. It belongs to the catecholamine family, and this test measures how much is circulating in plasma at the moment of the draw.
It is usually measured together with noradrenaline and dopamine, the other plasma catecholamines, because they are produced along the same pathway and are read as a set. Their breakdown products, metanephrines, are often tested separately.
Adrenaline responds within seconds to stress, pain, posture, cold, caffeine, nicotine and some medications, so collection is tightly controlled. Many labs place a cannula first and have the person rest lying down before drawing blood into a chilled tube, which is then separated quickly. Measurement is usually by HPLC or mass spectrometry. Reports may list it as Adrenalina en plasma, epinephrine or plasma adrenaline.
Often read alongside: Noradrenaline (plasma), Dopamine (plasma)