Lead, capillary (fingerstick) blood, pediatric
Lead, capillary (fingerstick) blood, pediatric-14467
Monitor environmental lead exposure in children younger than 16 years.
Because alcohol wipes do not sufficiently remove lead dust, the child’s hands should be washed with soap and water before capillary blood lead tests are collected.
Immediately following collection, mix by inverting 8 - 10 times to prevent clotting
Microtainer - lavender EDTA (LabCorp)
Clients submitting specimens for testing using manual requisitions must include a completed Blood lead report form
Ambient (preferred) – 14 days
Refrigerated – 14 days
Frozen – 14 days
Freeze/thaw cycles – stable x2
- Venous collections tan-top lead free tube or royal blue-top (EDTA) tube
- Clotted specimen
Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) or inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS)
Environmental exposure: 0 to 15 years: 0−4 μg/dL1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following testing schedule for children with elevated BLLs (blood lead levels) on a screening test.
|
Blood (μg/dL) |
Time to confirmation testing |
|---|---|
|
*The higher the BLL on the screening test, the more urgent the need for confirmation testing. |
|
|
Reference value - 9 |
1 to 3 months |
|
10 − 45 |
1 weed to 1 month* |
|
45 − 59 |
48 hours |
|
60 − 69 |
24 hours |
|
≥70 |
Urgently as emergency test |