Ordering Guidance

This test is only for assessment of occupational exposure to lead. The preferred test for lead toxicity in children is blood lead. For more information see:

-PBDV / Lead, Venous, with Demographics, Blood

-PBDC / Lead, Capillary, with Demographics, Blood

The preferred screening test for suspicion of a hepatic porphyria is urine porphyrins. For more information see PQNRU / Porphyrins, Quantitative, Random, Urine.

Necessary Information

Include a list of medications the patient is currently taking.

Specimen Required

Both EDTA whole blood and heparin whole blood specimens are required.

Patient Preparation:

1. High concentrations of gadolinium and iodine are known to interfere with most inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry-based metal tests. If either gadolinium- or iodine-containing contrast media has been administered, a specimen should not be collected for 96 hours.

2. Patient should abstain from alcohol for 24 hours prior to specimen collection.

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Supplies:

-Metal Free B-D Tube (EDTA), 6 mL (T183)

-Metal Free B-D Tube (EDTA), 3 mL (T989)

-Microtainer (EDTA) Tube, 0.5 mL (T174)

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Royal blue-top BD Vacutainer Plus with EDTA blood collection tube (6 mL) (BD catalog no. 368381)

Acceptable: Royal blue-top BD vacutainer with EDTA blood collection tube (3 mL), BD Microtainer with EDTA, or royal blue-top Monoject trace element blood collection tube

Specimen Volume: 2 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. See Metal Analysis Specimen Collection and Transport for complete instructions.

2. Send whole blood specimen in original tube. Do not aliquot.

3. Refrigerate specimen as soon as possible.

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Green top (sodium heparin)

Acceptable: Dark blue top (metal free heparin), green top (lithium heparin), or lavender top (EDTA)

Specimen Volume: 4 mL

Collection Instructions: Refrigerate specimen as soon as possible after collection.