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Test Code CHOL Cholesterol, Total

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Plasma

Preferred Specimen: Li-Heparin Mint Green Top

Other Acceptable specimens: Serum/Gold Top, Serum/Red Top

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

Cholesterol, Total

All

All

120-199 mg/dL

Note: Reference range based on in-house studies, recommendations from Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry, and Roche product literature. Reference ranges for cholestrol are based on a general adult patient population. Cholesterol levels vary with age, sex and race.

Critical Values

Analyte

Unit

Low

High

Age

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CPT Codes

82465

LOINC Codes

2093-3

Volume

Preferred Volume: 0.5 mL

Minimum Volume: 0.2 mL

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

7 days

Refrigerated

7 days

Frozen

3 months

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

 

Test Components

Cholesterol, Total
 

Clinical Indications

Cholesterol assays are used for screening for atherosclerotic risk and in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders involving elevated cholesterol levels as well as lipid and lipoprotein metabolic disorders.

 

 

Chol (mg/dL)

HDL (mg/dL)

LDL (mg/dL)

Trig (mg/dL)

Desirable/Optimal

<200

>59

<100

<150

Near/Above Optimal

N/A

N/A

100-129

N/A

Bordeline High

200-239

N/A

130-159

150-199

High Risk

>239

<40

160-189

200-499

Very High

N/A

N/A

>189

>499

Note: National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines (Arch Intern Med 1988; 148; 36-69) are listed above and have become more overly accepted in recent years than established reference ranges for identificaion and treatment of patients with hyperlipemias. The guidelines are not based on age or sex and should be considered in conjuction with other factors in the assessment of risk for coronary heart disease.

Methodology

Enzymatic, Colorimetric Method (Roche Diagnostics)

Additional Information

  • Results should always be assessed in conjunction with patient's medical history, clinical examination and other findings.
  • National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for cholesterol levels and classification of risk for coronary heart disease for general adult population are as follows:
    • Desirable/Optimal: Less than 200 mg/dL
    • Borderline High: 200-239 mg/dL
    • High Risk: Greater than 239 mg/dL

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

Synonyms/Keyword Search

N/A

Last Review Date

8/19/2024

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