Mercury, Blood
Test Mnemonic
MERC2
CPT Codes
- 83825 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
5685-3
Includes
- Mercury, Whole Blood
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 mL | Whole blood | EDTA (Royal blue) | Ambient | HEAVY METALS FORM REQUIRED to meet State Health Department requirements. Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications upon the advice of their physician and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48 to 72 hours. 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 | 1 week |
| Refrigerated | 1 week |
| Frozen | Unacceptable |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Inductively Coupled Plasma / Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) |
Special Info
Patient demographics (Heavy Metals) form is required to meet State Health Department requirements. Indications: Toxicity-Mercury poisoning. Patient Prep: Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician), and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48 - 72 hours. Specimens collected or transported in tubes other than royal blue (EDTA) or trace element-free transport tubes will be rejected. Clotted specimens are not acceptable. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
Preferred test for the assessment of acute mercury exposure. Blood mercury levels predominantly reflect recent exposures, and they are most useful in the diagnosis of acute poisoning as blood mercury concentrations rise sharply and fall rapidly over several days after ingestion. Blood concentrations in unexposed individuals rarely exceed 20 ug/L. The reference interval relates to inorganic mercury concentrations. Dietary and nonoccupational exposure to organic mercury forms may contribute to an elevated total mercury result. Clinical presentation after toxic exposure to organic mercury may include dysarthria, ataxia and constricted vision fields with mercury blood concentrations from 20 to 50 ug/L. 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. Mercury is volatile; concentration may decrease over time.