AST

Message

Test performed at York Hospital Laboratory.

Test Code

AST

Alias/See Also

SGOT

CPT Codes
84450

Preferred Specimen

0.2 mL serum collected in a serum separator tube (SST)

Other Acceptable Specimens

0.2 mL serum collected in a no additive (red-top) tube, transferred to a plastic screw-cap vial 0.2 mL plasma collected in a lithium heparin (green-top) gel separator tube

Transport Temperature

Refrigerated

Specimen Stability

Room temperature: 3 days
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 3 months

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Hemolyzed specimen

Methodology
Spectrophotometry

Setup Schedule

Daily

Report Available

Next Day
Available STAT 1/2 Hour

Reference Range

Age	AST (U/L) Male	AST (U/L) Female
<3 Years	20 - 60	20 - 60
4-6 Years	15 - 50	15 - 50
7-9 Years	15 - 40	15 - 40
10-15 Years	15 - 40	10 - 30
16-19 Years	15 - 45	5 - 30
Adult	5 - 40	5 - 40

Clinical Significance

AST is present in high activity in heart, skeletal muscle, and liver. Increased serum AST activity commonly follows myocardial infarction, pulmonary emboli, skeletal muscle trauma, alcoholic cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and drug-induced hepatitis.

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.