Fecal Fat, Total, Quantitative

Test Code
455


CPT Codes
82710

Preferred Specimen
72 hour stool collected in a 1 gallon plastic, leak-proof, screw-cap container


Patient Preparation
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patient should be on a diet including 100 grams of fat per day for 3 days prior to collection and during collection period.

Other Acceptable Specimens
24 hour or 48 hour stool


Instructions
Send entire collection sample - Use a 1 gallon plastic, leak-proof, screw-cap container (Warehouse item #2614). Record total collection time (24, 48, or 72 hours) and weight on test requisition. If entire collection is sent to the lab, the lab will verify weight of sample. Keep refrigerated during collection.
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Do not submit specimen in metal paint cans, as processing poses a safety hazard. Specimens received in paint cans will be rejected.


Transport Temperature
Frozen


Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 7 days
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 28 days


Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Specimens received in paint cans


Methodology
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Setup Schedule
Set up: Sun-Thurs; Report available: 1-3 days


Limitations
Up to 12 grams of fat may be malabsorbed among patients with diarrhea even when the diarrhea is not attributable to fat malabsorption.


Reference Range
<7.0 g/24 h


Clinical Significance
Increased in disease of the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, celiac syndrome, bile duct obstruction, diarrhea, and lipase deficiency.




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.