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Test Code FOL or LAB69 Folate, Serum

Important Note

Patient Preparation: For 12 hours before this test do not take multivitamins or dietary supplements containing biotin (vitamin B7), which is commonly found in hair, skin, and nail supplements and multivitamins. Biotin can interfere with many immunoassay tests.

Please note: Effective November 2013,  RBC Folate is no longer available.  Please see article in the Nov 2013 LabWire   (page 3) for additional information.

Specimen Requirements

Container Type:

Optimal: Gold

Acceptable: Red

 
Optimal Collection Volume: 

4.5mL; full tube
Minimum Volume:

1 mL whole blood
Collection Instructions:

Gently invert the sample 5-6 times after collection.
Specimen Transport:

Refrigerate
Processing Instructions: 

1. Allow the specimen to clot for 30 minutes.

2. Centrifuge specimen within 2 hours of collection.

3. After centrifugation, specimen tubes without a gel barrier should have the serum aliquoted to a false bottom container.

4. Keep serum refrigerated until testing can be performed.

Specimen Stability

Specimen Type Temperature Time
Serum Refrigerated 7 days
Room Temperature 2 hours
Frozen 4 weeks

Specimen Rejection Criteria

Hemolysis Mild OK; Moderate Reject; Gross Reject
Lipemia Mild OK; Moderate OK; Gross Reject
Icterus Mild OK; Moderate OK; Gross Reject
Other Quantity not sufficient

Useful For

Investigating folate deficiency

Methodology

Roche Cobas - Electrochemiluminescence assay

Reference Ranges

> 4.0 ng/mL

Interpretive

FOL - Clinical & Interpretive: Folate, Serum (mayocliniclabs.com)

Day(s) Performed

24/7

Expected TAT

Same day

Performing Laboratory

Bronson Laboratory, Chemistry - Kalamazoo

Sample Retention Time

7 days

CPT Code

82746

LOINC Code

2284-8