| Method |
Particle Agglutination |
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| CPT Code |
86781 |
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| Preferred Specimen |
Serum |
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| Other Acceptable Specimens |
Plasma - EDTA (Lavender Top) full tube required |
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| Required Specimen Volume |
1-3 mLs serum or plasma |
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| Minimum Specimen Volume |
1 mL serum or plasma |
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| Specimen Container |
Red Top or SST Tube, 7-10 mL |
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| Specimen Identification |
Label tube with patient’s first and last name, DOB and date/time of collection. |
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| Special Instructions |
- Centrifuge and remove serum or plasma from clot as soon as possible and before storing. Transfer separated serum or plasma into a labeled plastic transport tube.
- Serum samples may be stored up to 5 days refrigerated at 2-8o C.
- If need to store longer than 5 days, serum may be frozen at -20° C. Serum may be frozen and thawed only once. Heat-treated sera may be used.
- Plasma samples may only be stored refrigerated up to 48 hours. Plasma samples must not be frozen or heat-inactivated.
- All specimens with precipitate must be clarified by centrifugation prior to testing.
- Include any medical history or relevant clinical findings on requisition.
|
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| Shipping Requirements |
Store and ship at refrigerated temperature 2-8° C. |
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| Sample Rejection Criteria |
- Any Hemolysis or Gross Lipemia
- Quantity not sufficient for testing (QNS)
- Gross Bacterial Contamination
- CSF specimen
- Mislabeled/Unlabeled specimen
|
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| Reference Interval |
Non-Reactive |
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| Additional Information |
Not used as a screening test. TP.PA will be positive with Treponemal infections other than syphilis (bejel, pinta, and yaws). Once positive, it remains so and cannot be used to judge effects of treatment. |
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| Turn-around-time |
24 hours |
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