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Test Code LAB45 Albumin, Blood

Performing Laboratory

St. Louis Children's Hospital Laboratory - Chemistry

Specimen Requirements

Note: This test is also available as part of LAB17 Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) and LAB20 Hepatic Function Panel. See Common Panel Test Combinations to avoid duplicate requests if needed.

 

Patient Preparation: None

Collection Container/Tube:

Preferred: Mint green-top Lithium Heparin (MNTGRN LiHep) tube

Acceptable: Green samplette/microtainer, plain red-top tube, or Gold SST gel tube

 Submission Container/Tube: If specimen is coming from outside facility and collected in a microtainer or plain red-top tube, aliquot processed sample into a plastic vial for transport (labeling with specimen type).

Specimen Collection Volume: 1.0 (minimum 0.6 mL)

Special Instructions: None

Sample Rejection

Mislabeled or unlabeled specimen

Logistics

Test Availability: Monday-Sunday

Cut-off time: None, performed as received

Turnaround Time: Same Day; 2 hours from receipt in performing lab

Reference Values

Reference Interval: 

<1 month: 2.5-5.0 g/dL
1-3 months: 3.0-4.2 g/dL
3 months-1 year: 2.7-5.0 g/dL
1-18 years: 3.2-5.0 g/dL
≥ 18 years: 3.5-5.0 g/dL  

Critical Value: <2.0 g/dL (all ages)

Critical results will be called initially and every 24 hours thereafter.

Methodology

Colorimetric

Limitations

  • In very rare cases gammopathy, in particular type IgM (Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia), may cause unrelieable results.

Additional Information

FOR SLCH CORE LABORATORY USE ONLY

Lab Processing Instructions: Centrifuge to separate. If specimen is collected in microtainer; or plain red-top tube aliquot sample into a Roche false-bottom tube for testing (labeling aliquot with specimen type).

Processed Volume: 0.3 mL plasma/serum

Analyte Stability:

Specimen Type Temperature Time
Whole Blood (unprocessed)  Ambient 24 hours
Plasma/Serum (processed) Refrigerated (preferred)    4 weeks
  Ambient  7 days
  Frozen  indefinitely 

 

Test Classification and CPT Code

82040

LOINC

61151-7

Last Reviewed

06/2025