Find Locations
For hours, walk-ins and appointments.Synonyms
- Calcium Filterable
- Calcium Unbound
- Ionized Calcium
Expected Turnaround Time
1 - 2 days
Turnaround time is defined as the usual number of days from the date of pickup of a specimen for testing to when the result is released to the ordering provider. In some cases, additional time should be allowed for additional confirmatory or additional reflex tests. Testing schedules may vary.
Related Documents
Specimen Requirements
Specimen
Serum
Volume
1 mL
Container
Gel-barrier tube
Collection
Centrifuge and send unopened gel-barrier tube with vacuum intact. It is critical that the vacuum not be disrupted. Exposure of the serum to room air causes a loss of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This changes the sample pH and can prevent the lab from measuring the ionized calcium. To ensure that testing can be performed, send a separate tube for ionized calcium and adhere a piece of labeling tape over the top of the tube with the following written on it “Ionized Calcium − DO NOT OPEN.”
Storage Instructions
Room temperature. Do not freeze.
Stability Requirements
Temperature | Period |
|---|---|
Room temperature | 14 days |
Refrigerated | 14 days |
Causes for Rejection
Hemolysis; opened gel-barrier tube; gel-barrier not completely sealing the clot; plasma specimen; gross lipemia
Test Details
Use
Evaluate nonbound calcium, calcium metabolism, physiologically active calcium fraction, hyperparathyroidism, ectopic hyperparathyroidism. Occasionally useful when hypercalcemia coexists with abnormal protein state such as myeloma. Useful in assessing active calcium fraction in hypoproteinemia and acidosis when calcium is low.
Limitations
Total calcium remains the first line test for evaluation of calcium abnormality.
Methodology
Ion-selective electrode (ISE)
Reference Interval
4.5−5.6 mg/dL
Additional Information
Calcium in serum exists ionized, bound to organic anions such as phosphate and citrate, and bound to proteins (mainly albumin). Of these, ionized calcium is the physiologically important form. Measurement of serum ionized calcium provides insight into the effect of total protein and albumin on serum calcium levels. A patient can have high total calcium, with normal ionized calcium and increased total protein and/or albumin, as in dehydration or in myeloma. Women have greater circadian variation of ionized calcium and intact PTH than men.1 There is an inverse relationship between ionized calcium and phosphate concentration.2
Footnotes
1. Calvo MS, Eastell R, Offord KP, Bergstralh EJ, Burritt MF. Circadian variation in ionized calcium and intact parathyroid hormone: Evidence for sex differences in calcium homeostasis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Jan; 72(1):69-76. 1986029
2. Lehmann M, Mimouni F. Serum phosphate concentration. Effect on serum ionized calcium concentration in vitro. Am J Dis Child. 1989 Nov; 143(11):1340-1341. 2816862
References
Cooper RS, Shamsi N. Ionized serum calcium in black hypertensives: Absence of a relationship with blood pressure. J Clin Hypertens. 1987 Dec; 3(4):514-519. 3453386
Forman DT, Lorenzo L. Ionized calcium: Its significance and clinical usefulness. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1991 Sep-Oct; 21(5):297-304. 1952778
Ionized Calcium Workshop N° 1. Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl. 1983; 165:1-126. 6578561
Loughead JL, Mimouni F, Tsang RC. Serum ionized calcium concentrations in normal neonates. Am J Dis Child. 1988 May; 142(5):516-518. 3358391
Rasmussen N1, Frølich A, Hornnes PJ, Hegedüs L. Serum ionized calcium and intact parathyroid hormone levels during pregnancy and postpartum. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990 Sep; 97(9):857-859. 2242375
Roelofsen JM1, Berkel GM, Uttendorfsky OT, Slegers JF. Urinary excretion rates of calcium and magnesium in normal and complicated pregnancies. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1988 Mar; 27(3):227-236. 3350196
Thode J, Holmegaard SN, Transbøl I, Fogh-Andersen N, Siggaard-Andersen O. Adjusted ionized calcium (at pH 7.4) and actual ionized calcium (at actual pH) in capillary blood compared for clinical evaluation of patients with disorders of calcium metabolism. Clin Chem. 1990 Mar; 36(3):541-544. 2311230
Wu AH, Bracey A, Bryan-Brown CW, Harper JV, Burritt MF. Ionized calcium monitoring during liver transplantation. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1987 Oct; 111(10):935-938. 3307683
LOINC® Map
| Order Code | Order Code Name | Order Loinc | Result Code | Result Code Name | UofM | Result LOINC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 004804 | Calcium, Ionized, Serum | 17864-0 | 004804 | Calcium, Ionized, Serum | mg/dL | 17864-0 |
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