Details
Back to Test DirectoryCPT Code
82140
Specimen Type
Container Type
Stability
4 hours @ 2-4° C or 3 weeks @ -20° C
Handling Instructions
Completely fill tube with blood, place on ice, let it chill, centrifuge within 15 minutes (cold), separate plasma and submerge in ice until analysis; No ammonium heparin tubes.
Clinical Notes
Ammonia is a waste product formed primarily by bacteria in the intestines during the digestion of protein. If not processed and cleared from the body appropriately, excess ammonia can accumulate in the blood. This test measures the amount of ammonia in the blood. Ammonia is normally transported in the blood to the liver, where it is converted into two substances called urea and glutamine. The urea is then carried to the kidneys, where it is eliminated in the urine. If this “urea cycle” does not complete the breakdown of ammonia, ammonia builds up in the blood and can pass from the blood into the brain.
Performing Lab
6210 N Belt Line Rd
#170
Irving, TX 75063
Principle Laboratory - Houston
16840 Buccaneer Ln
Suite 281
Houston, TX 77058