Test Code VISC Serum Viscosity
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Whole blood
Preferred Specimen: 6 red top tubes required
Other Acceptable specimens: not applicable
Volume
Preferred Volume: 30 mL whole blood, 7 mL of serum required
Minimum Volume: 30 mL whole blood, 7 mL of serum required
Specimen Stability
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
8 hours |
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
24 hours |
Frozen (-20°C) |
not acceptable |
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: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. Whole blood pecimens must be received within 2 hours. If transport is delayed, centrifuge and separate serum. Refrigerate specimens prior to transport.
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.
- Frozen or heated specimens will be rejected
- Quantity not sufficient specimens are not suitable for testing and will be rejected
Reference Values
Analyte |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
Serum viscosity |
All |
Male and female |
1.4 - 1.8 relative to water |
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: 60 minutes. Call lab at 2-1314 for STAT analysis during the midnight shift.
Routine Turnaround Time: 24 hours
Testing Schedule: 24/7
Clinical Indications
- Measurement of serum viscosity is an important aspect of clinical management of patients with hyperviscosity syndrome.
- Hyperviscosity syndrome can occur in association with a variety of clinical diagnoses, such as polycythemia, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, multiple myeloma, and leukemia
Test Components
Serum viscosity relative to water
Methodology
Ostwald Viscosimeter
CPT Codes
85810
Additional Information
Not applicable
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Critical Values
Not applicable
LOINC Codes
VISC 3128-6
Synonyms/Search Keywords
Viscosity
Last Reviewed Date
9/5/2024