Specimen:

Whole Blood

Collection Medium:

Alternate
Collection Media:

Lavender top tube (EDTA)

Minimum:

Preferred minimum: 3 mL whole blood from either pink or lavender top
Absolute minimum:  1 mL whole blood from either pink or lavender top

Delivery Instructions:

Keep on ice and deliver to laboratory immediately.

Analytic Time:

5 days upon receipt at reference laboratory

Reference Range:

50 - 200 ng/mL

Comments:

Mix specimen well, place on ICE and deliver to Specimen Control, 6240 
RCP.

Test
Limitations:

Medications which may affect serotonin concentrations include lithium, 
MAO inhibitors, methyldopa, morphine, and reserpine.  In general, 
serotonin-containing foods do not interfere significantly.  Slight 
increases may be seen in acute intestinal obstructions, acute MI, 
cystic fibrosis, dumping syndromes, and nontropical sprue.  
Metastasizing abdominal carcinoid tumors often show serotonin values 
greater than 400 ng/mL.

Methodology:

High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)

CPT Code:

84260