Catecholamines, Plasma CAT

Synonyms

Allscripts (AEHR) Order Name

Catecholamine Fractionation

Sunrise Clinical Manager (SCM) Order Name

Catecholamine Fractionation

EPIC Order Name

Catecholamines, Fractionated, plasma

Clinical Info

Plasma catecholamines with urinary metanephrines and VMA are a recommended test battery for pheochromocytoma.3 Others recommend plasma catecholamines when urinary collections are not diagnostic. Work up multiple endocrine adenomatosis, type II. Used also in diagnosis of disorders related to the nervous system and in assessment of resuscitation

Specimen Type

Blood

Container

Lavender Top Tube

Collection Instructions

Specimen Type: Plasma Container/Tube: Lavender top (EDTA) or Dark Green Sodium Heparin Tubes-send at least two tubes
Specimen Volume: 3 mL
Specimen Minimum Volume: 2.2 mL
Transport Temperature: Frozen  After centrifugation, the plasma can be stored up to two hours at room temperature.
Patient Preperation:
1. Patient should be fasting for 4 or more hours without smoking.
2. Walnuts, bananas, and ?-methyldopa (Aldomet)should be avoided for a week prior to sampling. Other drug interference may occur, including epinephrine and epinephrine-like dugs(eg nose drops, sinus and cough preparations, bronchodilators, appetite suppressants).
3. Test is unreliable in subjects on lovodopa or methenamine mandelate.
4. Avoid patient stress.
5. An indwelling heparinized venous catheter is advocated, since venipuncture can cause an increase in the substances for which testing is done.
6. Patient should remain supine in quiet surroundings for at least 30 minutes.
 
Collection
Draw blood in lavender-top (EDTA) tube or green-top (heparin) tube. Invert to mix with preservatives. Centrifuge and transfer the plasma to labeled plastic transport tube. Freeze immediately (within one hour after collection) at -20°C and ship frozen. The time between blood collection and the preparation of plasma is quite critical; if the time exceeds one hour, catecholamine values increase (when blood is kept at 4°C) or decrease (when left at 20°C).1 To avoid delays in turnaround time when requesting multiple tests on frozen samples, please submit separate frozen specimens for each test requested

Transport Instructions

Frozen  After centrifugation, the plasma can be stored up to two hours at room temperature.

Specimen Stability

Methodology

High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with Electrochemical (EC) Detection.
Includes norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine.

Days Performed

Monday through Friday
 
TAT: 5 - 7 Days

Performing Laboratory

LabCorp of America

CPT

82384

PDM

5900410

Result Interpretation

Norepinephrine, plasma:
• 0 to 1 year: 0−659 pg/mL
• 1 to 18 years: 0−611 pg/mL
• 18 years and older: 0−874 pg/mL
Epinephrine, plasma:
• 0 to 1 year: 0−34 pg/mL
• 1 to 18 years: 0−80 pg/mL
• 18 years and older: 0−62 pg/mL
Dopamine, plasma:
• 0 to 1 year: 0−42 pg/mL
• 1 to 18 years: 0−32 pg/mL
• 18 years and older: 0−48 pg/mL

Forms


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