| PREGNANCY TEST, QUALITATIVE (Serum or Urine) (087-0607) | |
|---|---|
| Test Mnemonic: | PREG URINE or PREG SERUM |
| Specimen Requirements: | |
| Collection: | Random Urine: First morning urine is optimal because it generally contains the highest concentration of hCG. Collect in a disposable urine container with tight-fitting lid or red-topped vacutainer tube. Serum: Collect blood specimen in a SST or red-topped vacutainer tube following the routine venipuncture protocol. |
| Storage/Transport: | Urine: Urine specimens can be stored for 8 hours at room temperature or up to 72 hours refrigerated. Do NOT freeze urine samples. Serum: Centrifuge specimen within 2 hours after collection. If the specimen is collected in a red-topped tube, the serum must be removed from cellular material within 2 hours after collection. Place serum from red-topped tube in labeled plastic transport tube. SST tubes and serum aliquots may be stored refrigerated for up to 48 hours. If testing will be delayed for more than 48 hours, store serum at ≤ -20°C or below. Thaw and gently mix frozen specimen before testing. Do not re-freeze. |
| Causes for Rejection: | Incomplete and/or incorrect sample identification, improper storage/transport, and gross hemolysis or lipemia. |
| Reference Range: | By report (reports may vary based on instrumentation, patient age and sex) |
| Turnaround Time: | Routine: 8 hours; ASAP: 4 hours; STAT: 1 hour |
| Methodology: | Qualitative Immunoassay |
| Performed: | Clinical Chemistry |
| CPT 4 Code: | 84703 |
| When ordering tests for which Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement will be sought, physicians should only order tests that are medically necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient. Components of the organ or disease panels may be ordered individually. The diagnostic information must substantiate all tests ordered and must be in the form of an ICD-10 code or its verbal equivalent. | |