Specimen Requirements
Title
Zinc, Serum or Plasma
Specimen Requirement
Collect a dark blue no additive tube or dark blue EDTA, centrifuge and transfer 1.0 mL serum/plasma to a screw top trace element transport tube within 45 minutes of collection. If collecting no additive dark blue transfer to serum trace element tube, if collecting EDTA dark blue transfer to a plasma trace element tube.
Serum/plasma cannot be left on the cells in original tube.
Methodology
Inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS)
Stability
Room temp: 28 days, Refrigerated: 28 days, Frozen: 28 days
Reference Range
The reference range is determined by the performing laboratory and will show on the report.
Turnaround
2-4 days
Clinical Use
Monitor exposure to zinc; evaluate suspected nutritional inadequacy, especially in enteral or parental nutrition, critically ill or burn patients; cases of diabetes or delayed wound healing; growth retardation; follow therapy, for example when higher intravenous zinc doses are used to balance excessive ongoing GI losses in long-term total parenteral nutrition; follow oral zinc therapy in Wilson disease; confirm acrodermatitis enteropathica and follow therapy
Test Code
ZINC