2-4 days after setup at Peacehealth Laboratories’ reference lab
CPT Code:
86622-90
Specimen Collection Details
Collection:
One 7.5 mL serum separator tube (SST).
Handling:
Allow to clot, centrifuge and immediately separate serum from cells into a plastic vial. Clearly label tube “acute” or “convalescent.”
Stability:
48 hours ambient, 14 days refrigerated, or 1 year frozen. Avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles.
Standard Volume:
1 mL serum (pediatric: 200µL)
Minimum Volume:
0.5 mL serum
Transport:
Refrigerated.
Comments:
Parallel testing is preferred and convalescent specimen MUST be received within 30 days from receipt of acute specimen. Cross reactions may occur between Brucella and F. tularensis antigens and antisera; therefore, parallel tests should be run with those antigens. A fourfold rise in titer ≥ 1:160 is considered diagnostic. A single serum titer of 1:160 or 1:320 is suggestive of Brucellosis when accompanied by a compatible clinical course in a patient with a history of potential exposures.
Rejection Criteria:
Severely lipemic, contaminated, hemolyzed or heat inactivated specimen.