Specimen Requirements

Specimen Type: Plasma or serum drawn, baseline, 30 minute and 60 minute post administration of Cosyntropin.

Container/Tube:

Plasma: Lithium heparin, sodium heparin or potassium EDTA

Serum: Clot, plain, activator or gel separator

Specimen Volume: 1 mL

Specimen Minimum Volume: 0.3 mL

Collection Instructions: Each cortisol draw must have a separate sample #.
1. Pre-dose Cortisol Level: Draw am level, or immediately before dose of Cosyntropin is given. Draw an EDTA tube on ice for an ACTH JIC tube. (The ACTH must be drawn before the Cosyntropin is given.)
2. 30” Post-dose Cortisol Level: Draw level, exactly 30 minutes after Cosyntropin is administered.
3. 60” Post-dose Cortisol Level: This level is not required for interpreting the results of therapy, but may be ordered by physician. *Cosyntropin peaks at 60 minutes.

Additional Information:

1. Grossly hemolyzed, icteric, or lipemic samples are not acceptable.

2. Patients receiving Prednisolone or Prednisone (which is converted to Prednisolone in vivo) therapy may be falsely elevated. Caution must be exercised with cortisol determinations for patients undergoing therapy with these and structurally related synthetic corticosteroids. Heterophilic antibodies can react with reagent immunoglobulins, interfering with in vitro immunoassays.