Lead, Whole Blood (Referred Out) - Saskatoon

Overview

Description

Ordering recommendation

• Determining blood lead levels is the most common method for confirming lead exposure.
• Please specify specimen type on requisition.

Specimen Information

Specimen types accepted

• Whole blood

Specimen collection container

• Preferred collection container: Royal Blue (K2EDTA) 6.0mL

Collection procedure

• Do not open tube or separate plasma
   

Required volume

• Optimal volume: 6 mL full collection tube
   

Rejection criteria

• Specimens received where the proper collection protocols were not followed
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Acceptance and Rejection Criteria

Performance

Days/times performed

Availability	Shipped daily Monday to Sunday
Testing site	Referred out by St. Paul’s Hospital Laboratory to Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory

 

Maximum laboratory time

Results reporting

• 7 – 10 day turnaround time by testing laboratory

Other information

Additional comments

• Avoid mineral supplements for 5 days prior to collection
• High concentrations of gadolinium and iodine are known to interfere with most metal tests.
• Elevated results may be due to collection-related contamination, e.g. use of a noncertified lead free tube; Recommend to confirm abnormal results with a second specimen collected in a lead-free tube.

Last Updated: January 21, 2026