Cobalt, Serum or Plasma
Test Mnemonic
COBALT
CPT Codes
- 83018 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
5627-5
Aliases
- Cobalt, Plasma
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
FDA Category
Laboratory Developed Test
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mL | Serum | No additive (Navy Blue) | Ambient | Patient Prep: Diet, medication and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). Do not use serum separator tubes. Remove serum from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection and aliquot into a trace metal-free transport tube (ARUP #43116). |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mL | Plasma | EDTA (Royal blue) | Ambient | Patient Prep: Diet, medication and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). Remove plasma from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection and aliquot into a trace-metal free transport tube (ARUP #43116). |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | Indefinitely |
| Refrigerated | Indefinitely |
| Frozen | Indefinitely |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Inductively Coupled Plasma / Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) |
Reference Range
| Cobalt, Serum | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Normal | < or =1.0 | ug/L |
Special Info
Patient Prep: Diet, medication and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). Unacceptable conditions: Non-certified metals-free tubes. Specimens collected and/or transported in containers other than specified will be rejected. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
Occupational exposure or toxic ingestion monitoring. Whole blood is the preferred test for evaluating metal ion release from metal-on-metal joint arthroplasty. Serum levels may be increased in asymptomatic patients with metal-on-metal prosthetics and should be considered in the context of the overall clinical scenario. Symptoms associated with cobalt toxicity vary based on route of exposure, and may include cardiomyopathy, allergic dermatitis, pulmonary fibrosis, cough and dyspnea.