Lipase

Message

Test performed at York Hospital Laboratory.

Test Code

LIPA

CPT Codes
83690

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

Instructions

Separate serum or plasma from the cells within 4 hours of collection.

Transport Temperature

Refrigerated

Specimen Stability

Room temperature: 7 days
Refrigerated: 3 weeks
Frozen: 5 months

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

Grossly lipemic specimens

Methodology
Spectrophotometry

Setup Schedule

Daily

Report Available

Next Day Available STAT 1/2 Hour

Reference Range

23-300 U/L Critical Values >800 U/L

Clinical Significance

Serum lipase increases rapidly in patients with acute and recurrent pancreatitis, pancreatic abscess or pseudocyst, pancreatic trauma, pancreatic cancer, common-bile-duct obstruction, and ingestion of drugs that are toxic to the pancreas. It is also increased by most inflammatory conditions in the abdominal cavity, biliary tract disease, abdominal abscesses, and renal failure. Lipase is more specific than total amylase in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

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.