Acylcarnitine Profile After Intensive Care

"Blood samples are collected through a central or peripheral venous line placed for clinical use, or through venous punction. Blood will be drawn into a serum gel tube (BD Vacutainer, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA), before being centrifuged (3500 rpm, 15 min, 4°C). Supernatant will be frozen at -20°C and stored for later analysis.~Serum ACs concentrations (free carnitine (C0), C2-, C3-, C3DC-, C4-, C4-OH-, C4-DC-, C5-, C5:1-, C5-OH-, C5DC-, C6-, C6-OH-, C6-DC-, C8-, C8:1-, C10-, C10:1-, C10:2-, C12-, C12:1-, C14-, C14:1-, C14:2-, C14-OH-, C16-, C16:1-, C16-OH-, C16-1-OH-, C17-, C18- ,C18:1-, C18:2-, C18-OH-, C18:1-OH-, C18:2-OH-carnitine) will be determined on a TQ5500 tandem mass spectrometer (Sciex, Framingham, MA, USA)."