ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory
| 0081117: Cortisol, Saliva |
| Test Mnemonic: CORT SAL | |
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Methodology: Enzyme Immunoassay
Performed: Mon Reported: 1-8 days |
| Specimen Required: | |
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Collect: Saliva. Do not collect specimen within 60 minutes after eating a meal or within 12 hours after consuming alcohol. Rinse mouth thoroughly with water 10 minutes before specimen collection. Collect specimen between 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Specimen container is plain (non-citric acid) cotton Salivette® (ARUP Supply #41252). The swab should be placed under the tongue for 2 minutes or until swab is completely saturated. Swab must be completely saturated. Each specimen submitted must have a collection time.
Transport: Saturated swab in Salivette® transport container, frozen. Pediatric Collection/Transport: Saturated swab in Salivette® transport container, frozen. Remarks: Record the time of collection on the test request form, and on Salivette® transport container. Freeze all saliva specimens within one hour of collection. Unacceptable Conditions: Specimens not collected using the Salivette® collection device. Specimens visibly contaminated with blood, mucus, food particles or cellular debris. Sodium azide preservative. Specimens with pH values greater than 9.0 or less than 3.5 must be recollected. Stability: Ambient: Unacceptable; Refrigerated: 8 hours; Frozen: 6 months |
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| Reference Interval: |
| By report |
| Interpretive Data: | |
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For a collection at 2300 hr, the normal cortisol concentration is less than 0.112 µg/dL. Patients with Cushing's Syndrome have concentrations of 0.112 µg/dL or greater.
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| Note: | |
| Bovine hormones normally present in dairy products can cross-react with anti-cortisol antibodies and cause false results. Acidic or high sugar foods can compromise assay performance by lowering sample pH and influencing bacterial growth. Samples with pH values greater than 9.0 or less than 3.5 must be recollected. |
| CPT Code(s): | |
| 82533 |