A recent study by Antech Diagnostics found that marked lipemia or hemolysis can cause spurious bile acids results, although the effects were inconsistent in both magnitude and direction (i.e., variable elevations or reductions from reference values).

To minimize lipemia and hemolysis in samples submitted for bile acids measurements, feed only a small quantity of canned food (1-4 tablespoons, depending on the size of the patient), and separate the serum from the cells (by using a SST or transferring serum to a plain RTT) prior to submission to the laboratory.