ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory
| 0050175: Cold Agglutinins |
| Test Mnemonic: COLD | |
|
Methodology: Hemagglutination
Performed: Mon-Fri Reported: 2-5 days |
| Specimen Required: | |
|
Collect: One 4 mL SST. Keep in warm water (37°C) until processed for transport by laboratory.
Transport: 1 mL serum at 2-8°C. (Min: 0.5 mL) Submit specimen in an ARUP Standard Transport Tube. Pediatric Collection/Transport: 0.25 mL serum at 2-8°C. Remarks: Refrigeration of specimen before separation of serum from cells will adversely affect test results. Unacceptable Conditions: Refrigerated whole blood. Plasma or CSF. Severely hemolyzed, lipemic, or contaminated specimens. Stability: After separation from cells: Ambient: 2 days; Refrigerated: 2 weeks; Frozen: 1 year (avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles) |
|
| Reference Interval: |
| < 1:32 Negative |
| Interpretive Data: | |
|
Titers of 1:32 or higher are considered elevated by this technique. Elevated titers are rarely seen except in primary atypical pneumonia and in certain hemolytic anemias. If the agglutination is not reversible after incubation at 37°C, then the reaction is not due to cold agglutinins. Primary atypical pneumonia can be caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza A, influenza B, parainfluenza, and adenoviruses. However, a fourfold rise in the cold agglutinins usually begins to appear late in the first week or during the second week of the disease and begins to decrease between the fourth and sixth weeks. Low titers of cold agglutinins have been demonstrated in malaria, peripheral vascular disease, and common respiratory disease. |
| CPT Code(s): | |
| 86157 |