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Aluminum, Serum

Al

Test Codes

ARUP #99266, Antrim #80220, EPIC: LAB5935, SOFT: XAL

Department

Send Outs

Instructions

Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician).

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: One Royal Blue-top tube with no additives.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Centrifuge to separate serum from cells within 6 hours of collection. Transfer serum to a metal-free plastic transport tube and maintain at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F).

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: 2.0 mL serum at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F). (Minimum: 0.5 mL)

Rejection Criteria

• Serum Separator (SST) tubes.
• Specimens not separated from red cells or clot within 6 hours of collection.
• Specimens not collected and processed as indicated.

In-Lab Processing

Centrifuge to separate serum from cells within 6 hours of collection. Transfer serum to a metal-free plastic transport tube and maintain at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F).

Transport: 2.0 mL serum at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F). (Minimum: 0.5 mL) 

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): Indefinite
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): Indefinite
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Indefinite

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Specimen retention time is determined by the policy of the reference laboratory. Contact the Send Outs Laboratory with any questions.

Laboratory

Sent to ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT.

Performed

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
Results available in 2-5 days.

Reference Range

0-15 mcg/L.

Test Methodology

Quantitative Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.

Interpretation

Serum aluminum greater than 50 mcg/L is consistent with overload and may correlate with toxicity. Elevated results from non-certified trace element-free tubes may be due to contamination. Elevated concentrations of trace elements in serum should be confirmed with a second specimen collected in a trace element-free tube, such as royal blue sterile tube (no additive).

Clinical Utility

This assay is used to monitor aluminum exposure in hemodialysis, to monitor for toxicity or bone burden of aluminum, and to diagnose a type of bone disease in chronic renal failure.

CPT Codes

82108
LOINC:  5574-9

Contacts

Last Updated

7/6/2021