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| PRIMARY |
| 1 |
Serum |
1 (0.5) mL
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Room Temperature - 24 Hour(s)/Refrigerated - 7 Day(s)/Frozen - 21 Day(s) |
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| ALTERNATE |
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Folic acid deficiency is common in pregnant women, alcoholics, in patients whose diets do not include raw fruits and vegetables, and in people with structural damage to the small intestine. The most reliable and direct method of diagnosing folate deficiency is the determination of folate levels in both erythrocytes and serum. Low folic acid levels, however, can also be the result of a primary vitamin B12 deficiency that decreases the ability of cells to take up folic acid.
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Rejection Criteria: Hemolyzed Samples
Dietary supplements containing biotin may interfere
in assays and may skew analyte results to be either
falsely high or falsely low. For patients receiving
the recommended daily doses of biotin, draw samples
at least 8 hours following the last biotin supplementation.
For patients on mega-doses of biotin supplements,
draw samples at least 72 hours following the last
biotin supplementation.
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| Setup Schedule |
| Tuesday-Saturday |
| Reported (Analytical Time) |
|
Same day
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CPT Code
|
82746
The CPT codes provided are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only.
CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party.
Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payer being billed.
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| Notes |
Transport Temperature: Refrigerated
Send serum in an amber tube. If amber tube is not available, wrap tube in aluminum foil to protect from light.
Most useful when ordered with vitamin B12 and red cell folic acid; detect folate deficiency; monitor therapy with folate; evaluate megaloblastic and macrocytic anemia. In mild folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies, serum folate and serum vitamin B12 can be normal. Homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are more sensitive indicators of mild deficiencies of these vitamins |
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