Calcium, Ionized

Specimen Tube Type Transport

Green gel lithium heparin tube on ice.

Container Whole Blood Required

3 ml whole blood in gel lithium heparin tube on ice.

Critical Value

Male/Female and all ages: <0.80 mmol/L and >1.5 mmol/L

Summary Test Name

Calcium, Ionized

Specimen Preparation Outreach

Do not process. Do not remove stopper. Refrigerate until courier pickup. Must be picked up and delivered to lab within 4 hours of specimen collection.

Specimen Stability

4 hours refrigerated.

Minimum Volume

3 ml whole blood

Specimen Transport

On Ice

Specimen Preparation In House

Keep on ice until analyzed. Give unprocessed sample directly to the blood gas tech.

Stat Availability

24 hours a day, seven days a week

Test Turnaround Time Routines And Stats

ASAP

Reference Value

Male/Female and all ages the same: 1.15-1.27 mmol/L

Additional Test Information

Full gel lithium heparin green top tube OR heparinized syringe. Microtainers are NOT acceptable.

Deliver immediately to lab protected in an ice slurry.

Receive/process order in Sunquest. Give sample immediately to Blood Gas tech.

Heparinized syringe should be placed in an ice slurry if >30-minute delay in testing.

OUTREACH samples (full tube): 

Whole blood samples should be reordered as CAIWB. Samples are stable 2hr at room temp and 4 hours on ice/refrigerated if cap is NOT removed. 

Samples with extended delay in delivery (State College): Do NOT remove cap. Spin and keep refrigerated/on ice until delivered to HMC SPA. 

ADD-ON CAI plasma testing – Plasma samples are stable for 2 hours at room temp.