Nickel, Serum

Test Overview

Test Methodology

Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Test Usage

Diagnosis of nickel poisoning.

Reference Range *

<2.0 ng/mL

* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.

Test Limitations

Nickel exists in the environment at 1,000 times the concentration found in biological specimens. Specimen collection procedures require rigorous attention to ultraclean specimen collection procedures, tubes, sample handling and analysis. Hypernickelemia in the absence of exposure to Ni(CO)4 - nickel carbonyl - may be an incidental finding or due to contamination.

Test Details

Days Set Up

Thursday

Analytic Time

1 - 7 days

Soft Order Code

NI-S

MiChart Code

Nickel, Serum

Synonyms

NI-S
NICKEL, SERUM
Ni (Nickel), Serum

Laboratory

Sendout

Reference Laboratory

Mayo NIS (8622)

Section

Special Testing

Specimen Requirements

Collection Instructions

Royal blue (trace element) and/or Metal-Free aliquot tubes are available from MLabs (800-862-7284). Collect blood in a royal blue top (trace element) tube with no preservative (serum). Allow specimen to clot for 30 minutes, centrifuge, and carefully pour serum into a metal-free aliquot tube, avoiding transfer of the cellular components of blood. Do not insert a pipet into the serum to transfer and do not ream the specimen with a wooden stick to assist with the transfer. Refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze for longer storage. Do not collect specimens for trace metal testing from patients who have received gadolinium-, iodine-, or barium-containing contrast material within the past 96 hours. These metal-based contrast agents are known to interfere with laboratory techniques commonly used for trace metals analysis.

Contraindications

Investigation of hypernickelemia should be limited to patients with potential for exposure to Ni(CO)4 - nickel carbonyl - used in petroleum refining and in the plastics industry. High concentrations of gadolinium and iodine are known to interfere with most metals tests. If either gadolinium- or iodine-containing contrast media has been administered, a specimen should not be collected for 96 hours.