Specimen Type: Serum

Specimen Required: 3-5 Cc Yellow Top Gel Vial

Day Performed: Daily

Reporting Time: 8 Hours  STAT Reporting Time: 120 MINUTES

Methodology: Beckman Coulter AU480

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

A higher than normal level may be due to a number of health conditions. Common causes include:

• Being on bed rest for a long time.
• Consuming too much calcium or vitamin D.
• Hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid glands make too much of their hormone; often associated with a low vitamin D level).
• Infections that cause granulomas such as tuberculosis and certain fungal and mycobacterial infections.
• Multiple myeloma, T cell lymphoma and certain other cancers.
• Metastatic bone tumor (bone cancer that has spread).
• Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or too much thyroid hormone replacement medicine.
• Paget disease; Abnormal bone destruction and regrowth, causing deformity of the affected bones.
• Sarcoidosis; Lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or other tissues become swollen or inflamed.
• Tumors producing a parathyroid hormone-like substance.
• Use of certain medicines such as lithium, tamoxifen, and thiazides.

A lower than normal levels may be due to:

• Disorders that affect absorption of nutrients from the intestines (intestinal malabsorption)
• Hypoparathyroidism (parathyroid glands do not make enough of their hormone)
• Kidney failure
• Low blood level of albumin
• Liver disease
• Magnesium deficiency
• Pancreatitis
• Vitamin D deficiency