The Schumm test ''(shoom)'' is a blood test that uses

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter ...

to determine significant levels of methemalbumin in the

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in th ...

. A positive result could indicate intravascular

hemolysis Hemolysis or haemolysis (), also known by several other names, is the rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma). Hemolysis may occur in vivo o ...

. The Schumm test was named for Otto Schumm, a German chemist who lived in the early 20th century. A positive test result occurs when the

haptoglobin Haptoglobin (abbreviated as Hp) is the protein that in humans is encoded by the ''HP'' gene. In blood plasma, haptoglobin binds with high affinity to ''free'' hemoglobin released from erythrocytes, and thereby inhibits its deleterious oxidativ ...

binding capacity of the blood is saturated, leading to heme released from cell free

hemoglobin Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyte ...

to bind to

albumin Albumin is a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All the proteins of the albumin family are water-soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experience heat denaturation. Albumins ...

References

Blood tests {{Med-diagnostic-stub