Laboratory Medicine
Test Directory / Urea
Urea
Brown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin
| Test | Urea |
|---|---|
| Common Abbreviations | URE |
| Profile | Urea and Electrolytes |
| Tube type | Brown clotted serum, gel barrier or lithium heparin |
| Clinical Indication | Often measured along with creatinine in the differential diagnosis of renal function. Elevated urea levels may be seen in kidney disease, heart failure, dehydration and following a GI bleed. |
| Specimen Type | Blood |
| Sample type | Serum or plasma |
| Minimum Volume | 0.5mL If requesting more than 10 tests please send an additional brown clotted serum sample. |
| Special Precautions | No special requirements |
| Stability | 7 days at 2-25°C |
| Turnaround Time | Urgent: 2 hours Inpatient: 4 hours Outpatient/ GP: 24 hours |
| Laboratory | York and Scarborough |
| Reference Interval | 2.5-7.8 mmol/L (Recommended by the Pathology Harmonisation Reference Group) |
| Limitations | Highly lipaemic samples may exceed the reaction absorbance and are therefore unsuitable for analysis. |
| Notes |
