Test Overview
Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
Diagnosis of nickel poisoning.
<2.0 ng/mL
* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.
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
1 - 7 days
- Ni (Nickel), Serum
Specimen Requirements
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.
Additional Information
Test sent to Mayo Medical Laboratories.