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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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URIC ACID, RASBURICASE USER

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB3218    Geisinger Epic ID:  41921

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Plasma


Preferred collection container: 
Specimen required: 

2 mL of plasma; minimum 0.2 mL.


Special notes: 

Place tube directly into an ice slurry. See processing instructions below.


Patient preparation: 

None.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Centrifuge (cold, if possible) to separate plasma immediately. Place centrifuged specimen on ice and assay immediately. 
For off-campus labs or non-testing performing sites: Centrifuge, remove plasma, and freeze plasma immediately. Testing sites must perform testing as soon as frozen plasma is thawed. Thoroughly mix thawed plasma prior to testing.


Transport temperature: 

Frozen.


Specimen stability: 

Refrigerated: 7 days. Frozen: 6 months.


Rejection criteria: 

Stability limits exceeded.



TEST DETAILS
Reference interval: 

Female: 2.4-5.7 mg/dL; Male: 3.4-7.0 mg/dL


CPT code(s):  84550
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.

Test includes: 

Uric acid.


Methodology: 
Spectrophotometric (Colorimetric)
Synonyms: 

URICTX


Clinical significance: 

In patient who has tumor lysis syndrome, rasburicase may be used to manage the elevation of uric acid. Keeping the specimen cold will prevent breakdown of uric acid by rasburicase ex vivo. This allows for more accurate measurement of the uric acid level in vivo.


Doctoral Director(s): 
Hoi-Ying Elsie Yu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM
Sheng-Ying (Margaret) Lo, PhD, DABCC
Review Date:  12/27/2024

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