Arterial Blood Gas

Test Code
ABG


Alias/See Also
Blood Gas/ ABG


CPT Codes
82803

Preferred Specimen
Preferred: 1 full green top non-gel tube (lithium heparin) or 1 ml in a heparinized syringe.


Minimum Volume
Minimum: 0.3 ml of whole blood in a syringe or capillary tube.


Instructions
Specimens must be immediately hand carried to the lab at room temperature. List percentage or liters of oxygen.  Clear any air bubbles when filling a syringe and cap the syringe.


Transport Container
Lithium Heparin tube (green top) or heparinized syringe


Transport Temperature
Room temperature


Specimen Stability


Room Temperature: 30 minutes
Refrigerated: Unacceptable




Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Lithium Heparin (green top) tubes that are not full or are gel tubes.
Specimens not received at room temperature.
Specimens sent through the pneumatic tube system.


Methodology
Automated

Setup Schedule
Daily upon receipt.


Report Available
Turn around time: 30 minutes.




The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.