Test Code ALB Albumin
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Plasma
Preferred Specimen: Li-Heparin Mint Green Top
Other Acceptable specimens: Serum/Gold Top, Serum/Red Top
Volume
Preferred Volume: 0.5 mL
Minimum Volume: 0.2 mL
Specimen Stability
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
Room temperature |
2.5 months |
Refrigerated |
5 months |
Frozen |
4 months |
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions:
Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions:
- Samples should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.
- Centrifuge specimens at >2500 x g for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Aliquot sample into plastic transport tube containing a minimum of 0.2 mL of specimen.
- Samples must be sent room temperature at 15-25oC.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
- Specimens that are clotted or grossly hemolyzed.
- Specimens that were transported unspun/whole blood and draw time is greater than 6 hours.
Reference Values
Test |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
Albumin |
All |
All |
3.5-5.0 g/dL |
Critical Values
Not applicable
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: 1 hour
Routine Turnaround Time: 4 hours
Testing Schedule: 24/7
Clinical Indications
Assist in the assessment of liver synthetic function.
Test Components
Albumin
Methodology
Colorimetric Assay Spectrophotometric (Roche Diagnostics)
CPT Codes
82040
LOINC Codes
61151-7
Synonyms/Keyword Search
Not applicable
Additional Information
- Results should always be assessed in conjunction with patient's medical history, clinical examination and other findings.
- Determination of albumin may lead to falsely elevated test results in patients suffering from renal failure or insufficiency due to interferences with other proteins.
Last Review Date
8/14/2024