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Amino Acids

Collection Restrictions

Except for emergent or critically ill children, the patient must be fasting prior to specimen collection

 

Age (months) Fasting Times (hours)
0-6
7-24
>24  8-12

 

Collection Requirements

Source: blood
Container(s):

  • Preferred: Lithium heparin mint green gel
  • Acceptable: Red

Volume: 2 mL in vacutainer
 

Source: urine
Container: Sterile cup
Volume: 3 mL in sterile cup
 

Source: CSF
Container: Sterile cup
Volume: 1 mL in sterile cup

Special Instructions

Orders for CSF should be accompanied by a blood specimen to facilitate interpretation.

Turn Around Time

1-7 days
Testing performed Monday-Friday
Reports with interpretations are released each Friday 
Specimen must be received in the Toxicology Lab by 12:00 p.m. Thursday to be reported out on Friday

Availability

Routine

Lab Processing Instructions

Specimen: plasma or serum
Spin, separate, and immediately refrigerate

 

Specimen: urine or CSF
Refrigerate

Performing Laboratory

Adele Hall

Adele Hall Lab Section

Biochemical Genetics

Instrumentation/Methodology

Ion Exchange Chromatography Quantitation 

Additional Information

Quantitation of amino acids is used to detect inborn errors of metabolism such as Tyrosemia, PKU, MSUD urea cycle defects, Fanconi Syndrome, Lowe Syndrome, Cystinuria, Hartnup disease, non-ketotic hyperglycemia, and many others.

Reference Ranges

See interpretative report

CPT

82139