| Test Name: | Iron |
| Epic Order Code: | LAB94 |
| CPT Code: | 63540 |
| Specimen(s) Type: | Plasma or Serum; 0.5 - 1.0 mL |
| Acceptable Container(s): |   Tops are light green and gold. |
| Testing Schedule: | 24 hours/day, 7 days/week |
| Turn Around Time: | STAT: 1 hour |
| | Routine: 2 hours |
| Collection Information: | No special patient preparation is required. Obtain specimen by standard collection procedures. |
| Transport Information: | Deliver to lab immediately. All specimens must be signed into the laboratory. |
| Reference Clients: | If unable to deliver to the lab within 1 hour, centrifuge the specimen and remove plasma/serum from the red cells. Store and transport at 2-8° C. Specimen must be received in the lab within 24 hours. |
| Causes for Rejection: | Improperly labeled; incorrect container; contaminated, insufficient quantity; incorrect/delay in transport |
| Reference Range: | Male: 59-158 µg/dL
Female: 37-145 µg/dL | | |
| Additional Information: | In patients treated with iron supplements or metal-binding drugs, the drug-bound iron may not properly react in the test, resulting in artificially low values. In the presence of high ferritin concentrations >1200 µg/L the assumption that serum iron is almost completely bound to transferrin is not valid anymore. Therefore, such iron results should not be used to calculate Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) or percent transferrin saturation (% SAT). |