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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 

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

Critical Values

Not applicable

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

CPT Codes

85810

LOINC Codes

VISC 3128-6

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

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

Test Components

Serum viscosity relative to water 

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

Methodology

Ostwald Viscosimeter 

Synonyms/Search Keywords

Viscosity

Additional Information

Not applicable

Last Reviewed Date

9/5/2024