Lab Dept:

Coagulation

Test Name:

FIBRINOGEN

General Information

Lab Order Codes:

FIB

Synonyms:

Clauss Fibrinogen; Plasma Fibrinogen

CPT Codes:

85384 – Fibrinogen; activity

Test Includes:

Fibrinogen level reported in mg/dL.

Logistics

Test Indications:

Used for identifying congenital afibrinogenemia, dysfibrinogenemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), fibrinolytic activity and severe liver disease. This test is sensitive to functional fibrinogen, and insensitive to nonclottable fibrinogen and fibrin derivatives.

Lab Testing Sections:

Coagulation

Phone Numbers:

Minneapolis:

Saint Paul:

612-813-6280

651-220-6550

Test Availability:

Daily, 24 hours

Turnaround Time:

2 hours

Special Instructions:

Deliver immediately to the laboratory; Indicate when specimen is drawn from a line or a heparin lock. Refrigerate specimen if there is a delay in transport of 30 minutes or more.

Specimen

Specimen Type:

Whole blood

Container:

Light Blue top tube (Buffered Na Citrate 3.2%)

Draw Volume:

1.8 mL or 2.7 mL blood

Processed Volume:

0.9 mL (Minimum: 0.5 mL) plasma

Collection:

A clean venipuncture is essential.

Patient’s with hematocrit levels >55% must have a special tube made to adjust for the hematocrit; contact laboratory for special tube.

Special Processing:

Centrifuge immediately upon arrival in laboratory.
Remove plasma from cells if testing is delayed.
Freeze (-70ºC) if testing is delayed for more than 3 hours.

Patient Preparation:

None

Sample Rejection:

Improper tube, Clotted samples, Overfilled tubes, Underfilled tubes, Mislabeled or unlabeled specimens

Interpretive

Reference Range:

200 – 420 mg/dL

Critical Values:

<100 mg/dL

Limitations:

N/A

Methodology:

Electromagnetic clot detection

References:

Harmening DH (1997) Clinical Hematology and Fundamentals of Hemostasis

Updates:

2/17/2005: Critical value previously listed as <100 mg/dL.
3/27/2012: Updated reference range, critical value and method.