Cobalt, Whole Blood
Test Mnemonic
COBALB
CPT Codes
- 83018 - QTY (1)
Includes
- Cobalt, Whole Blood
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 mL | Whole blood | EDTA (Royal blue) | Ambient | Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and nonessential over the counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). Send blood in original collection tube. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | Indefinitely |
| Refrigerated | Indefinitely |
| Frozen | Unacceptable |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Inductively Coupled Plasma / Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) |
Special Info
Patient Prep: Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and nonessential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). Specimens collected and/or transported in containers other than royal blue (K2EDTA) will be rejected. Clotted specimens are unacceptable. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
Blood cobalt levels can be used in the assessment of occupational exposure or toxic ingestion. Symptoms associated with cobalt toxicity vary based on route of exposure and may include cardiomyopathy, allergic dermatitis, pulmonary fibrosis, cough, and dyspnea. Blood is the preferred specimen type for evaluating metal ion release from metal-on-metal joint arthroplasty. Elevated results may be due to skin- or collection-related contamination, including the use of tubes that are not certified to be trace element free. If an elevated result is suspected to be due to contamination, confirmation with a second specimen collected in a certified trace element-free tube is recommended.