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Cortisol, Free, 24-Hour Urine

Free Cortisol, Urine

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB6979, Beaker: XCFUW, Warde: UFCO1

Department

Send Outs

Instructions

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: 24-hour urine sample with no preservative.

• Keep 24-hour urine specimen iced or refrigerated during collection.
• Include start and end dates and times for the collection period on the specimen container.

Urine Preservative Options
No Preservative	6N Hydrochloric Acid	Boric Acid (10g)	Sodium Carbonate	50% Acetic Acid
PREFERRED	Unacceptable	Acceptable	Unacceptable	Unacceptable

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Maintain specimens refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F) prior to transport.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: Entire 24-hour urine collection, refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F).

Rejection Criteria

Specimens not collected and processed as indicated. 

In-Lab Processing

Measure total volume of 24-hour urine specimen. Record total volume and collection start and end dates and times in the LIS system. Aliquot 10.0 mL from the well-mixed 24-hour urine collection. (Minimum: 2.0 mL)

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 48 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): 14 days

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Specimen retention time is determined by the policy of the reference laboratory. Contact the Send Outs Laboratory with any questions.

Laboratory

Sent to Warde Medical Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI.

Performed

Tuesday, Thursday.
Results are available in 1-4 days.

Reference Range

By report.

Test Methodology

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Interpretation

By report.

Clinical Utility

Preferred screening test for Cushing Syndrome. Diagnosis of pseudo-hyperaldosteronism due to excessive licorice intake.

This test has limited usefulness in the evaluation of adrenal insufficiency.

CPT Codes

82530

Contacts

Last Updated

11/2/2023