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Test Code CHF Congestive Heart Failure Panel (CHF Panel)

Additional Codes

ALAB: CHF

PowerChart: N.A.

MA Cerner: CHF Panel

Specimen Requirement

0.5 mL serum or plasma is required.

Additional Specimen Collection Information

Collect blood in a lithium heparin, green-top or red-top tube. PST and SST (gel tubes) are acceptable. Serum or plasma should be separated from contact with the cells within 2 hours of collection. Specimens not centrifuged within 4 hours of collection may be rejected. Refrigerate the specimen if unable to assay within 8 hours of collection. Hemolyzed specimens are not acceptable. Samples with ≥3+ lipemia must be cleared prior to analysis.

Useful For

Sodium: Sodium assays are important in assessing acid-base balance, water balance, water intoxication, and dehydration.

Potassium: Evaluation of electrolyte balance, cardiac arrhythmia, muscular weakness, hepatic encephalopathy, and renal failure. Potassium should be monitored during treatment of many conditions but especially in diabetic ketoacidosis and any intravenous therapy for fluid replacement.
 

BUN: The determination of serum blood urea nitrogen currently is the most widely used screening test for the evaluation of kidney function. The test is frequently requested along with the serum creatinine test since simultaneous determination of these 2 compounds appears to aid in the differential diagnosis of prerenal, renal and postrenal hyperuremia.


Creatinine:

  • Diagnosing and monitoring treatment of acute and chronic renal diseases
  • Adjusting dosage of renally excreted medications
  • Monitoring renal transplant recipients

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR):

Serum creatinine measurement is used in estimating GFR for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those with risk factors for CKD (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and family history of kidney disease).

Performance

Testing is performed Monday through Sunday.

Routine orders: Typically completed within 4 hours after the specimen arrives at the testing site.

Expedite: Typically completed within 1 hour after the specimen arrives at the testing site.

STAT: Typically completed within 30 minutes after the specimen arrives at the testing site.

CPT Code Information

84295 Chemistry: Sodium, serum, plasma or whole blood
84132 Chemistry: Potassium, serum, plasma or whole blood
84520 Chemistry: Urea Nitrogen (Blood); Urea nitrogen; quantitative
82565 Chemistry: Creatinine, Serum

LOINC Code Information

2951-2 Sodium [Moles/Volume] In Serum Or Plasma
2823-3 Potassium [Moles/Volume] In Serum Or Plasma
3094-0 Urea nitrogen
2160-0 Creatinine [Mass/Volume] In Serum Or Plasma

Test Method

Sodium & Potassium:

MercyOne DBQ: Ion-Selective Electrode Potentiometry; Beckman DXC880i & iStat 
MercyOne DV: Ion Selective Electrode Poteniometry; iSTAT
MA: Ion-Selective Electrode (ISE) Method; Roche Cobas 6000

 

BUN:

MercyOne DBQ: Enzymatic-Conductivity Rate; Beckman DXC880i

MercyOne DV: Ion-Selective Electrode Potentiometry; iSTAT

MA: Enzymatic Rate Method; Roche Cobas 6000

 

Creatinine:

MercyOne DQ: Jaffe Rate; Beckman DXC880i
MercyOne DV: Catalytic Oxidation Electrode; iSTAT

MA: Kinetic Colorometric Method; Roche Cobas 6000
MA West: Catalytic Oxidation Electrode; iSTAT

Reference Values

Sodium: 135-145 meq/L

  • Critical Values:
    • Low: <120 meq/L
    • High: >160 meq/L

Potassium: 3.5-5.0 meq/L

  • Critical Values:
    • Low: <3.0 meq/L
    • High: >6.0 meq/L

BUN:

MercyOne Laboratory: 10-26 mg/dL
Medical Associates: 10-20 mg/dL

Creatinine:

  • 0.4-1.4 mg/dL
  • eGFR (calculated): ≥ 60 mL/Min/1.73m2
    eGFR-AA (calculated): ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2

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