Catecholamines, Fractionated, Plasma
Test Mnemonic
PLCAT
CPT Codes
- 82384 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
2230-1, 2666-6, 2216-0, 2056-0
Includes
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
- Dopamine
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mL | Plasma | Sodium heparin (Green) | Place specimen on ice after draw. | Frozen, Critical | Patient should be calm and seated for 15 minutes or supine for 30 minutes prior to collection. Collect 2 tubes. Centrifuge, aliquot and freeze within one hour of collection. Refrigerated centrifuge is preferred but not required. |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mL | Plasma | Lithium heparin (Green) | Place specimen on ice after draw. | Frozen, Critical | Patient should be calm and seated for 15 minutes or supine for 30 minutes prior to collection. Collect 2 tubes. Centrifuge, aliquot and freeze within one hour of collection. Refrigerated centrifuge is preferred but not required. |
| 3 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Lavender) | Place specimen on ice after draw. | Frozen, Critical | Patient should be calm and seated for 15 minutes or supine for 30 minutes prior to collection. Collect 2 tubes. Centrifuge, aliquot and freeze within one hour of collection. Refrigerated centrifuge is preferred but not required. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | After separation from cells: Unacceptable |
| Refrigerated | After separation from cells: Unacceptable |
| Frozen | After separation from cells: 1 month at -20 degrees C; 1 year at -70 degrees C |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 5 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) |
Reference Range
| Dopamine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Seated (15 min): Less than or equal to 240 | pmol/L | 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Supine (30 min): Less than or equal to 240 | pmol/L |
| Epinephrine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Seated (15 min): Less than or equal to 330 | pmol/L | 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Supine (30 min): Less than or equal to 265 | pmol/L |
| Norepinephrine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Seated (15 min): 1050-4800 | pmol/L | 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | Supine (30 min): 680-3100 | pmol/L |
Special Info
Patient should be calm and seated for 15 minutes prior to collection. Alternately, patient may be calm and supine for 30 minutes prior to collection. Drugs and medications may affect results and should be discontinued for 72 hours prior to specimen collection, if possible. CRITICAL FROZEN. Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered. This test is New York DOH approved. Unacceptable conditions: Serum, or urine.
Clinical Info
Not recommended for evaluation of pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. Use to evaluate clinical symptoms of excess catecholamine secretion. Small increases in catecholamines (less than 2 times the upper reference limit) are usually the result of physiological stimuli, drugs, or improper specimen collection. Significant elevation of one or more catecholamines (2 or more times the upper reference limit) can result from a neuroendocrine tumor. Measurement of plasma or urine fractionated metanephrines should be used for assessment of suspected pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. Lower catecholamine concentrations are observed in specimens collected from supine adults. Medications may interfere with catecholamines and metabolites. The effect of drugs on catecholamine results may not be predictable. Children, particularly those under 2 years of age, often show an elevated catecholamine response to stress.