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Mayo Test ID CL Chloride, Serum


Necessary Information


Patient's age and sex are required.



Specimen Required


Collection Container/Tube:

Preferred: Serum gel

Acceptable: Red top

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Serum gel tubes should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.

2. Red-top tubes should be centrifuged, and the serum aliquoted into a plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.


Useful For

Evaluation of water, electrolyte, and acid-base status

Method Name

Indirect Potentiometry

Reporting Name

Chloride, S

Specimen Type

Serum

Specimen Minimum Volume

0.25 mL

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type Temperature Time
Serum Refrigerated (preferred) 7 days
  Frozen  30 days

Reject Due To

Gross hemolysis Reject

Clinical Information

Chloride is the major anion in the extracellular water space; its physiological significance is in maintaining proper body water distribution, osmotic pressure, and normal anion-cation balance in the extracellular fluid compartment.

 

Chloride is increased in dehydration, renal tubular acidosis (hyperchloremia metabolic acidosis), acute renal failure, metabolic acidosis associated with prolonged diarrhea and loss of sodium bicarbonate, diabetes insipidus, adrenocortical hyperfunction, salicylate intoxication, and with excessive infusion of isotonic saline or extremely high dietary intake of salt. Hyperchloremia acidosis may be a sign of severe renal tubular pathology.

 

Chloride is decreased in overhydration, chronic respiratory acidosis, salt-losing nephritis, metabolic alkalosis, congestive heart failure, Addisonian crisis, certain types of metabolic acidosis, persistent gastric secretion and prolonged vomiting, aldosteronism, bromide intoxication, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, and conditions associated with expansion of extracellular fluid volume.

Reference Values

1-17 years: 102-112 mmol/L

≥18 years: 98-107 mmol/L

Reference values have not been established for patients who are under 12 months of age.

Interpretation

In normal individuals, serum chloride values vary little during the day, although there is a slight decrease after meals due to the diversion of chloride to the production of gastric juice.

Cautions

High serum values of other halide ions may lead to falsely high readings on the chloride ion-selective electrode.

Clinical Reference

Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Edited by CA Burtis, ER Ashwood. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1994

Method Description

An ion-selective electrode (ISE) makes use of the unique properties of ion-selective membrane to develop an electrical potential (electromotive force: EMF) for the measurements of ions in solution. Selective membrane is in contact with both the test solution and an internal filling solution. Due to the selectivity of the membrane, only the ions to be measured contribute to the EMF. The membrane EMF is determined by the difference in concentration of the test ion in the test solution and the internal filling solution. The EMF develops according to Nernst equation of a specific ion in solution.(Package insert: ISE indirect Na-K-Cl for Gen 2. Roche Diagnostics; 05/2024)

Day(s) Performed

Monday through Sunday

Report Available

Same day/1 to 2 days

Specimen Retention Time

1 week

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester

Test Classification

This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.

CPT Code Information

82435

LOINC Code Information

Test ID Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
CL Chloride, S 2075-0

 

Result ID Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
CL Chloride, S 2075-0