| Method |
Agglutination |
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| CPT Code |
86592, 86593 |
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| Preferred Specimen |
Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) |
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| Other Acceptable Specimens |
None |
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| Required Specimen Volume |
1-3 mLs CSF, Minimum 1 mL |
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| Specimen Container |
Sterile Container tightly capped |
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| Specimen Identification |
Label container with patient’s first name, last name and DOB include date and time of collection. |
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| Special Instructions |
- Any Hemolysis or Gross Lipemia
- Include any medical history or relevant clinical findings on requisition.
- Specimens with precipitate or cellular content should be clarified by centrifugation.
|
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| Shipping Requirements |
Store and ship at refrigerated temperature 2-8°C. |
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| Sample Rejection Criteria |
- Any hemolysis
- Gross bacterial contamination
- Mislabeled/Unlabeled specimen
- Quantity not sufficient for testing (QNS)
|
|---|
| Reference Interval |
Non-Reactive |
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| Additional Information |
A positive VDRL in a spinal fluid uncontaminated by serum is essentially diagnostic of neurosyphilis. The CSF VDRL may take years to become Non-Reactive after adequate therapy. |
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| Limitations |
Biological false positive reactions occur occasionally. Such reactions sometimes occur in samples from individuals with a history of drug abuse, or with diseases such as lupus erythematosus, malaria, Vaccinia, mononucleosis, leprosy, viral pneumonia and after smallpox vaccinations. |
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| Turn-around-time |
24 hours |
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