Nicotine and Cotinine, Serum
Test Mnemonic
NICOT
CPT Codes
- G0480 - QTY (1)
- 80323 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
Panel: 90226-2 Nic:3853-9 and Cot:10365-5
Includes
- Nicotine
- Cotinine
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Serum | SST (Gold) | Ambient |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Serum | No additive (Red) | Ambient |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | 14 days |
| Refrigerated | 14 days |
| Frozen | 2 months |
Days Performed
2 days per week
Turnaround Time
0 - 5 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) |
Reference Range
| Cotinine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Years | 99 Years | Normal | < 2.0 | ng/mL | |
| Nicotine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Years | 99 Years | Normal | < 2.0 | ng/mL |
Clinical Info
Active tobacco product user: Nicotine concentration: 30 ng/mL - 50 ng/mL; Cotinine concentration: 200 ng/mL - 800 ng/mL. Passive exposure to tobacco: Nicotine concentration: < 2 ng/mL; Cotinine concentration: < 8 ng/mL. Unexposed non-tobacco user or Abstinent user for > 2 weeks: Nicotine concentration: < 2 ng/mL; Cotinine concentration: < 2 ng/mL.