Vitamin C, Plasma
| Abbrev Code: | VITC | ||
| Order Code: | LAB4583 | Order Name: | Vitamin C |
| Synonyms: | Ascorbic Acid | ||
| Methodology: | High performance liquid chromatography | ||
| CPT Codes: | 82180 x1 | ||
| Turnaround Time: | Specimens are sent to reference laboratory Mon-Sat; results are reported in 1-6 days. | ||
Collection Instructions
| Specimen: | Blood |
| Optimal Volume: | 1 mL |
| Minimum\Peds Volume: | 0.8 mL |
| Container: | Green (sodium or lithium heparin) protect from light |
| Collection Instructions: | Place specimen on ice immediately after collection and protect samples from light. |
| Patient Preparation: | Fasting specimens preferred |
| Causes for Rejection: | Nonfrozen samples. EDTA plasma, whole blood or body fluids. Grossly hemolyzed specimens. Samples not protected from light. |
Processing and Shipping
| Specimen Processing: | Centrifuge within 1 hour of collection and aliquot 0.5 mL, 0.3 mL minimum into a light protected tube and freeze. Each vitamin level requested requires a separate aliquot tube. |
| Shipping Instructions: | Ship on dry ice. Protect from light. |
| Stability: | 1 year frozen. Thawing and refreezing of the specimen and exposure to light will result in decreased Vitamin C concentration. |
| Test Performed at or Referral Lab | Lab Sendouts (ARUP) |
| Referral Lab number: | 80380 |
Interpretive
| Reference Range: | 23-114 umol/L Vitamin C concentrations lower than 11 umol/L indicates deficiency. Vitamin C concentrations between 11-23 umol/L are consistent with moderate risk of deficiency due to inadequate tissue storage. |
| Use: | Prolonged vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) deficiency results in scurvy, which is confirmed by concentrations of less than11 umol/L. Excessive ("megadose") vitamin C intake is generally believed to be nontoxic, but may lead to nephrolithiasis (calcium oxalate), uricosuria and increased iron absorption. |
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