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Lab Dept:
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Chemistry
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Test Name:
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ALUMINUM
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General Information
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Lab Order Codes:
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ALM
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Synonyms:
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Al, Serum
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CPT Codes:
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82108 - Aluminum
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Test Includes:
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Serum aluminum level in ng/mL
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Logistics
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Test Indications:
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Preferred monitoring for aluminum toxicity in patients undergoing dialysis. Preferred testing for routine aluminum screening. Monitoring metallic prosthetic implant wear.
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Lab Testing Sections:
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Chemistry - Sendouts
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Referred to:
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Mayo Medical Laboratories (Test: AL/8373)
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Phone Numbers:
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MIN Lab: 612-813-6280
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STP Lab: 651-220-6550
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Test Availability:
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Daily, 24 hours
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Turnaround Time:
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1 - 4 days, test set up Tuesday and Friday
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Special Instructions:
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Special tube required. Contact the laboratory. See Container
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Specimen
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Specimen Type:
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Blood
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Container:
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Royal Blue top (Trace element tube – available from the laboratory) tube
This special tube is required for this testing.
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Draw Volume:
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6 mL (Minimum: 1.5 mL) blood
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Processed Volume:
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2 mL (Minimum: 0.5 mL) serum
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Collection:
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Routine venipuncture
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Special Processing:
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Lab Staff: Allow specimen to clot for 30 minutes, centrifuge and separate serum. Remove stopper and carefully pour the serum into a 7.0 mL Mayo metal-free, screw-capped, polypropylene vial, avoiding the transfer of any cellular products. Do not insert a pipette into the serum to accomplish the transfer. Do not ream the specimen with a wooden stick. Close the cap. Refrigerate specimen. Forward promptly.
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Patient Preparation:
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None
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Sample Rejection:
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Mislabeled or unlabeled specimens; specimen drawn into the wrong collection container
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Interpretive
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Reference Range:
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All ages: 0 – 60 ng/mL
Dialysis patients: <60 ng/mL
Note: Reference values for serum do not apply to plasma specimens.
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Critical Values:
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N/A
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Limitations:
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Failure to pay attention to proper specimen collection procedures can cause abnormal results due to specimen contamination, which can lead to misinterpretation and misdiagnosis:
● Special evacuated blood collection tubes are required for aluminum testing. These tubes are readily available (Mayo Supply T184) and should always be used.
● Most common evacuated blood collection devices used have stoppers that are comprised of aluminum-silicate. Simple puncture of the rubber stopper for blood collection is sufficient to contaminate the specimen with aluminum. Typically, blood drawn in standard evacuated blood tubes will be contaminated by 20 to 60 ng/mL aluminum.
● The use of wooden applicator sticks or pipette tips during specimen aliquoting can cause abnormal results due to contamination.
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 cannot be collected for 96 hours.
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Methodology:
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Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
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References:
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Mayo Medical Laboratories Web Page March 2013
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Updates:
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7/12/2005: Method changed at MML, previously listed as Flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.
4/15/2013: Days performed update.
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