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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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SALICYLATES LEVEL

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB3032    Geisinger Epic ID:  6362

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Serum (preferred) or plasma


Preferred collection container: 
Alternate collection container: 
3 mL green/black top lithium heparin tube
6 mL red-top (plain, non-serum separator) tube
3 mL green/yellow-top (plasma separator) tube
Specimen required: 

2 mL aliquot of serum (preferred) or plasma; minimum 0.5 mL.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection.


Transport temperature: 

Refrigerated.


Specimen stability: 

Refrigerated: 2 weeks.


Rejection criteria: 

Stability limits exceeded.



TEST DETAILS
Reference interval: 

5-30 mg/dL.


Critical values/courtesy alerts: 
Above 40 mg/dL.
CPT code(s):  80179
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: 
Spectrophotometric (Colorimetric)
Synonyms: 

Salicylic acid, ASA, Acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin, SALIC


Clinical significance: 

Salicylates are used in the treatment of fever, analgesia, and in the treatment of acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and for inhibition of platelet aggregation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). When treating rheumatoid arthritis, salicylates reduce the inflammation in joint tissues. Salicylate levels are monitored to assess toxicity.


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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