0025019
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Thallium, Urine

THALU
Example Reports
High
Normal

Icon

Specimen Collection and Handling

Ordering Recommendation

Useful as a biomarker of chronic thallium exposure. For the assessment of acute exposure, consider Thallium, Whole Blood (0099610).

New York DOH Approval Status

This test is New York state approved.

Specimen Required

Patient Preparation

Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician). High concentrations of iodine may interfere with elemental testing. Collection of urine specimens from patients receiving iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media should be avoided for a minimum of 72 hours post-exposure. Collection from patients with impaired kidney function should be avoided for a minimum of 14 days post-contrast media exposure.

Collect

24-hour or random urine collection. Specimen must be collected in a plastic container. ARUP studies indicate that refrigeration of urine alone, during and after collection, preserves specimens adequately if tested within 14 days of collection.

Specimen Preparation

Transfer an 8 mL aliquot from a well-mixed collection to ARUP Trace Element-Free Transport Tubes (ARUP supply #43116). Available online through eSupply using ARUP Connect™ or contact ARUP Client Services at (800) 522-2787. (Min: 1 mL)

Storage/Transport Temperature

Refrigerated. Also acceptable: Room temperature or frozen.

Unacceptable Conditions

Urine collected within 72 hours after administration of iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media. Acid preserved urine. Specimens contaminated with blood or fecal material. Specimens transported in non-trace element-free transport tube (with the exception of the original device).

Remarks

Record total volume and collection time interval on transport tube and on test request form.

Stability

Ambient: 1 week; Refrigerated: 2 weeks; Frozen: 1 year

Methodology

Quantitative Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Performed

Sun-Sat

Reported

1-5 days

Reference Interval

Test Number
 Components
 Reference Interval
  Creatinine, Urine - per 24h
Age
 Male (mg/d)
 Female (mg/d)
3-8 years 140-700 140-700
9-12 years 300-1300 300-1300
13-17 years 500-2300 400-1600
18-50 years 1000-2500 700-1600
51-80 years 800-2100 500-1400
81 years and older 600-2000 400-1300

  Thallium, Urine - per 24h 0.0-0.4 µg/d
  Thallium, Urine - per volume 0.0-2.0 µg/L
  Thallium, Urine - ratio to CRT 0.0-2.0 µg/g CRT

Interpretive Data

Urinary thallium levels may reflect recent or chronic exposure and the presence of thallium in urine after acute exposure may persist for up to several weeks. Concentrations less than 5 µg/L are unlikely to cause adverse health effects while concentrations greater than 500 µg/L have been associated with clinical poisoning. After severe thallium poisoning reported symptoms have varying times of onset and include gastroenteritis, multi-organ failure and neurologic injury. Peripheral neuropathy and alopecia are well-documented effects of acute and chronic exposure. Human health effects from low level thallium exposure are unknown.

Per 24h calculations are provided to aid interpretation for collections with a duration of 24 hours and an average daily urine volume. For specimens with notable deviations in collection time or volume, ratios of analytes to a corresponding urine creatinine concentration may assist in result interpretation.

This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by ARUP Laboratories. It has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This test was performed in a CLIA certified laboratory and is intended for clinical purposes.

Compliance Category

Laboratory Developed Test (LDT)

Note

Hotline History

N/A

CPT Codes

83018

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Components

Component Test Code* Component Chart Name LOINC
0020207 Creatinine, Urine - per volume 2161-8
0020208 Creatinine, Urine - per 24h 2162-6
0025021 Thallium, Urine - per 24h 5746-3
0025022 Thallium, Urine - per volume 21558-2
0025049 Thallium, Urine - ratio to CRT 29938-8
0097110 Total Volume 19153-6
0097111 Hours Collected 30211-7
* Component test codes cannot be used to order tests. The information provided here is not sufficient for interface builds; for a complete test mix, please click the sidebar link to access the Interface Map.

Aliases

  • Normalized Urine Thallium
  • Thallium/Creatinine Ratio, Random, Urine
  • Tl Urine
  • TLU
  • Urine thallium concentration
Thallium, Urine