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Vitamin C, Plasma VITC

Specimen Required
Method(s)	Quantitative High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Collect	One 10 mL green (sodium or lithium heparin) top tube. PLACE IN ICE BATH IMMEDIATELY. Also acceptable: Plasma separator tube.
Transport	SPECIAL HANDLING PROTECT FROM LIGHT. CRITICAL FROZEN. Centrifuge, transfer plasma and freeze within ONE hour of collection. Transfer 0.5 mL plasma to amber vial (Min: 0.3 mL). Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered.
Remarks	Thawing and refreezing of the specimen and exposure to light will result in decreased Vitamin C concentration.
Stability	After separation from cells: Ambient: Unacceptable; Refrigerated: Unacceptable; Frozen: 1 year
Unacceptable Conditions	EDTA plasma, whole blood, body fluids and grossly hemolyzed specimens.

Schedule	Sun, Tue-Thu, Sat
Billing Code	5010490
CPTCode	82180
Preferred Specimen Collection Device(s)
Dark Green Cap Tube with Sodium Heparin
Reference Interval
23-114 micromol/L Interpretive Data: Vitamin C concentrations lower than 11 micromol/L indicate deficiency. Concentrations between 11 and 23 micromol/L are consistent with a moderate risk for deficiency due to inadequate tissue stores.