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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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OSMOLALITY, SERUM

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB2791    Geisinger Epic ID:  14382

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Serum


Preferred collection container: 
Specimen required: 

2 mL of serum; minimum 0.5 mL.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum.


Transport temperature: 

Refrigerated.


Specimen stability: 

Stable 10 days refrigerated.


Rejection criteria: 

Stability limits exceeded.



TEST DETAILS
Reference interval: 

278 - 305 mOsm/kg.


CPT code(s):  83930
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: 
Freezing Point
Synonyms: 

Serum osmolality, serum osmo, OSMO


Clinical significance: 

Serum osmolality measures the amount of osmotically active solute molecules in serum. It is commonly used to investigate low sodium (hyponetremia) and presence of toxins (methanol, ethylene glycol), drug therapies (mannitol, glycine), or metabolic disorders (glucose in diabetes).


Doctoral Director(s): 
Hoi-Ying Elsie Yu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM
Sheng-Ying (Margaret) Lo, PhD, DABCC
Benjamin Andress, PhD, DABCC
Review Date:  12/30/2024

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