Royal blue top (trace element), No Preservative (serum) [bold][mark color=red]TRACE ELEMENT or METAL-FREE ALIQUOT TUBES REQUIRED[/mark][/bold]
0.5 mL serum
0.3 mL serum
When aliquoting, specimen must be poured, do not use a pipette or wooden sticks to assist in pouring.
Royal blue (trace element) and/or Metal-Free aliquot tubes are available from MLabs (800-862-7284). Collect blood in a royal blue top (trace element) tube with no preservative (serum). Allow specimen to clot for 30 minutes, centrifuge, and carefully pour serum into a metal-free aliquot tube, avoiding transfer of the cellular components of blood. Do not insert a pipet into the serum to transfer and do not ream the specimen with a wooden stick to assist with the transfer. Refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze for longer storage. Do not collect specimens for trace metal testing from patients who have received gadolinium-, iodine-, or barium-containing contrast material within the past 96 hours. These metal-based contrast agents are known to interfere with laboratory techniques commonly used for trace metals analysis.
Monday Through Friday
5 - 9 days
Triple-Quadruple Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
< 1.0 ng/mL
Detecting cobalt toxicity or monitoring metallic prosthetic implant wear. Serum cobalt concentrations are likely to be increased above the reference range in patients with joint prosthesis containing cobalt. This test should not be used to assess vitamin B12 activity.
High concentrations of gadolinium and iodine are known to interfere with most metals tests. If either gadolinium- or iodine-containing contrast media has been administered, a specimen should not be collected for 96 hours.
Test sent to Mayo Medical Laboratories.
5627-5
83018
AA135
Any tube other than plain royal blue top collection tube, or metal free aliquot
Refrigerated preferred, ambient or frozen acceptable