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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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SICKLE CELL SCREEN

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB3055    Geisinger Epic ID:  7221

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Whole blood


Preferred collection container: 
Alternate collection container: 
Other volume lavender-top (K2 EDTA) tubes, including microcollection tube
Specimen required: 

EDTA lavender-top tube: 500 uL is the minimum acceptable volume.


Special notes: 

Do not perform on patients <6 months of age.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Do not centrifuge or freeze.


Transport temperature: 

Refrigerated.


Specimen stability: 

Refrigerated: 96 hours.


Rejection criteria: 

Frozen, clotted, hemolyzed, underfilled, centrifuged, beyond stability limits or plasma-only sample.



TEST DETAILS
Reference interval: 

Negative.


Additional information: 

Test is unreliable in infants under 6 months of age. 

Interfering Substances: 

  1. Elevated levels of Hgb F can cause false negative results.
  2. Recent transfusions can cause false positive and false negative results.
  3. Some rare hemoglobin variants such as Hgb C Harlem or C Georgetown may give a false positive reaction.
  4. All positive or questionable results should be further evaluated with hemoglobin electrophoresis.

Turnaround Times:

Routine4 Hours
STAT1 Hour
Extended TAT3 Days
Timed60 Minutes
Pending Discharge45 Minutes

CPT code(s):  85660
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.

Methodology: 
Solubility
Synonyms: 

Hemoglobin S Screen, Sickling, Hgb S Screen, Hgb S Screen, SCS, Sickledex Test, Sickledex Screen, Sickle cell screening test, Sickle Solubility Test, Solubility Screening Test for Hemoglobin S


Clinical significance: 

Used to screen for sickle cell trait or disease. A positive test should be confirmed with hemoglobin electrophoresis evaluation to confirm and determine the type of disease.


Doctoral Director(s): 
Mary Dhesi MD
Review Date:  01/08/2025

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