Catecholamines, Fractionated, Plasma
Test Mnemonic
PLCAT
CPT Codes
- 82384 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
2230-1, 2666-6, 2216-0, 2056-0
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mL | Plasma | Sodium heparin (Green) | Frozen, Critical | Collect 2 tubes on ice. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mL | Plasma | Lithium heparin (Green) | Frozen, Critical | Collect 2 tubes on ice. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 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, Tue - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 5 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) |
Reference Range
| Dopamine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Freetext | 2 days and older: 0-20 pg/mL | ||||
| Epinephrine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 2 Days | 10 Days | Normal | 36-400 | pg/mL | 11 Days | 90 Days | Normal | 55-200 | pg/mL | 4 Months | 11 Months | Normal | 55-440 | pg/mL | 12 Months | 23 Months | Normal | 36-640 | pg/mL | 24 Months | 35 Months | Normal | 18-440 | pg/mL | 3 Years | 17 Years | Normal | 18-460 | pg/mL | 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | 10-200 | pg/mL |
| Norepinephrine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| 2 Days | 10 Days | Normal | 170-1180 | pg/mL | 11 Days | 90 Days | Normal | 370-2080 | pg/mL | 4 Months | 11 Months | Normal | 270-1120 | pg/mL | 12 Months | 23 Months | Normal | 68-1810 | pg/mL | 24 Months | 35 Months | Normal | 170-1470 | pg/mL | 3 Years | 17 Years | Normal | 85-1250 | pg/mL | 18 Years | 99 Years | Normal | 80-520 | pg/mL |
Special Info
Patient should be calm and supine for 30 minutes prior to collection. Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered. This test is New York DOH approved. Unacceptable conditions: EDTA plasma, 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) usually are 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) is associated with an increased probability of a neuroendocrine tumor. Measurement of plasma or urine fractionated metanephrines provides better diagnostic sensitivity than measurement of catecholamines. Higher catecholamine concentrations are observed in specimens collected from upright or standing adults. Epinephrine may be increased by approximately 20%; norepinephrine up to 700 pg/mL; dopamine, unchanged. Medications that may interfere with catecholamines and metabolites include amphetamines and amphetamine-like compounds, appetite suppressants, bromocriptine, buspirone, caffeine, carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet), clonidine, dexamethasone, diuretics (in doses sufficient to deplete sodium), ethanol, isoproterenol, labetalol, methyldopa (Aldomet), MAO inhibitors, nicotine, nose drops, propafenone (Rythmol), reserpine, theophylline, tricyclic antidepressants, and vasodilators. 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.