[Metabolopathies. The importance of a good performance nurse]

The possibility for early detection of metabolic disorders has been a big step forward in medical history due to using a good technique by which diseases can be diagnosed, improving their outcome. The main disorders that these tests are designed to detect are hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphenylalaninemia, hemoglobinopathies, and cystic fibrosis, among others. Samples can be collected by two methods: the single draw (taken on the third day of life) or the double draw (the first sample is taken at 48 hours of life and the second after the fourth day). It is important to institute a good technique in order to obtain good results and prevent erroneous samples or false positives.