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Geisinger Medical Laboratories Test Catalog
CATECHOLAMINES, FRACTIONATED, PLASMA |
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ORDERING INFORMATION: |
Geisinger Epic Procedure Code: LAB1954 Geisinger Epic ID: 14851 | |
SPECIMEN COLLECTION |
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Specimen type: |
Plasma | |
Preferred collection container: |
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Specimen required: |
4 mL aliquot of plasma; minimum 2.5 mL. Please submit a separate frozen aliquot for this test. It may not be combined with any other test requiring a frozen aliquot. | |
Special notes: |
Collect two green-top tubes. After drawing specimens, place (green-top) tubes in ice bath. Centrifuge immediately for 20 Minutes 1000 xg. The plasma must be free of RBC'S. Aliquot and freeze on dry ice to transport. Lavender-top EDTA tube not acceptable. | |
Patient preparation: |
Patients should be relaxed in either a supine or upright position before blood is drawn. States of anxiety and stress can cause fluctuations in the catecholamine levels. Draw specimen in pre-chilled green-top vacutainers. Patient should avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco and strenuous exercise prior to collection. Overnight fasting is preferred. | |
| SPECIMEN PROCESSING |
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Specimen processing instructions: |
Separate plasma in a refrigerated centrifuge within 30 minutes of collection. Transfer plasma to clean, plastic, screw-capped vial(s), freeze immediately, and ship frozen. Do not thaw. | |
Transport temperature: |
Frozen. | |
Specimen stability: |
Room Temperature: 6 hours. Refrigerated: 6 hours. Frozen: 1 month. | |
Rejection criteria: |
Specimens received refrigerated or room temperature. Lavender-top EDTA tube not acceptable. | |
TEST DETAILS |
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CPT code(s): |
82384 | |
| Note: The billing party has sole responsibility for CPT coding. Any questions regarding coding should be directed to the payer being billed. The CPT codes provided by GML are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. | ||
Test includes: |
Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Total Catecholamines (calculated). | |
Methodology: |
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Electrochemical detection |
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Synonyms: |
Quest test code 314x, CATFRA
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Clinical significance: |
The three catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) are the principal secretory products of neural tissue. Clinically, the measurement of circulating catecholamines is valuable in the diagnosis of catecholamine secreting tumors associated chiefly with hypertension (pheochromocytomas, neuroblastomas, and gangliomas) and with the evaluation of orthostatic hypotension. | |