Advanced Diagnostic Laboratories

Collect

Plain red top or SST tube.

Specimen Preparation

Onsite [NJH]: Transport to lab within 1 hour.
Offsite: Separate serum from cells within 2 hours by centrifuge and aliquot into a labeled polypropylene or similar plastic tube.
Preferred volume: 1 mL serum

Pediatric Collection

Minimum volume: 0.15 mL serum

Unacceptable Conditions

Thawed specimen.

Storage Transport Temp

Offsite: Send frozen serum Priority Overnight via FedEx and in a well insulated container on dry ice.

Stability

Stability after cell separation:        
4 hours at RT (15-25°C)
8 days at 2-8°C
3 months frozen at ≥ -20°C

Methodology

Turbidimetry

Reported

4 hours

Department

Core Lab

Synonyms

Complement (C3/C4 Level Panel);C3 (C3/C4 Level Panel);C4 level (C3/C4 Level Panel);Nephelometry (C3/C4 Level Panel);C3 level (C3/C4 Level Panel);C4 (C3/C4 Level Panel)

Reference Interval

SEE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS C3 and C4

CPT Code

86160