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Test Code LAB68 Ferritin, Blood

Performing Laboratory

St. Louis Children's Hospital Laboratory - Chemistry

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation: None

Collection Container/Tube:

Preferred: Mint green-top lithium heparin (MNTGRN LiHep) tube

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

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

Specimen Collection Volume: 1.0 mL (minimum 0.6 mL)

Special Instructions: Send to lab promptly

 

Sample Rejection

Mislabled or unlabeled specimens

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: 150-1000 ng/mL
1 month - 6 months: 10-600 ng/mL
6 mo - 15 years: 15-100 ng/mL
≥ 15 years  
     Female: 15-150 ng/mL
     Males: 30-400 ng/mL

Critical Value: ≥ 5000 ng/mL (all ages)

Critical test results will be called back automatically initially and every 168 hours thereafter.

 

Methodology

Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA): sandwich principle

Limitations

  • NA

Additional Information

FOR SLCH CORE LABORATORY USE ONLY

Lab Processing Instructions: Centrifuge to separate. If specimen is collected in microtainer, plain red-top tube, or lavender-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 12 hours
Plasma/Serum (processed) Refrigerated (preferred) 7 days
  Ambient  3 days
  Frozen  12 months    

Test Classification and CPT Code

82728

LOINC

2276-4

Last Reviewed

06/2025