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Chemistry Specimens

The UC Irvine Medical Center Clinical Chemistry Laboratory offers a comprehensive range of routine and specialized testing for diagnostic, prognostic and disease monitoring purposes on blood, urine and other fluids.

The laboratories maintain a comprehensive selection of routine, high-volume automated clinical biochemistry tests as well as a diverse menu of serological tests, toxicology, therapeutic drug monitoring, endocrine/hormone analysis, tumor markers and others.

All common automated tests are performed in the UC Irvine Medical Center laboratory or in our core laboratory facility, with a rigorous standardization and quality-control program to assure comparability of results. Chemistry testing is performed 24 hours a day as STAT services for inpatient, emergency department and trauma services. Stat and high throughput testing are performed on automated tracks for sample processing and analysis. Consultative/interpretive reports by faculty are provided for amino acid analysis and monoclonal gammopathy analyses (protein electrophoresis).  

Routine and Special Toxicology »

Toxicology laboratory services include both routine and STAT analysis of drugs and metabolites in blood and urine samples. Testing includes therapeutic and transplant drugs (cyclosporins, FK506, sirolimus, etc.), overdose drug screening (confirmation for amphetamines and opiates), drugs of abuse screening, alcohol and volatile analyses and whole blood lead analysis. Categories of drugs tested include analgesics, antiarrhythmics, sedatives, antidepressants, antihistamines, opiates and stimulants.

The lab performs testing for adults and pediatric patients utilizing a variety of analyzers and methods including immunoassay, GC, GC/MS, HPLC, LC/MS/MS and atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The medical staff and the laboratory medical directors work together to insure that all patient testing needed for emergency care are readily available to the emergency department physicians and nurses. Please see laboratory  tests available on a STAT Basis. Additional testing can be obtained through faculty (pathologist) consultation. A pathologist is either immediately available or is on call for immediate consultation. In addition, licensed laboratory staff is available on call 24/7 every day of the year.

Services »

The UC Irvine Medical Center Clinical Chemistry Laboratory offers services in the following areas:

  • Routine (high volume) testing, specialized disease/organ system-related testing
  • Specialized tumor marker testing
  • Advance lipid screening
  • Comprehensive fetal lung maturity testing
  • Toxicology and therapeutic drug monitoring
  • Chain of custody drug analysis
  • Trace metal analysis
  • Protein electrophoresis/consultative service
  • Amino acid screening/consultative service 
Educational Opportunities »

Educational opportunities include:

  • Residency training
  • Medical technologist training
  • Clinical chemistry chronicles lecture and case conference 
Research »
  • Pancreatic cancer biomarker discovery
  • HDL subclasses
  • Bio-repository for biomarker discovery 
Hours of Operation »
LaboratoryHours of OperationExt.Bldg/Room

Automated Chemistry

24 hours daily (Douglas Hospital)

5201

Bldg 1, 3424

7 am – 2:30 pm

Closed weekends and holidays (Core Laboratory)

5262

Bldg 54, 1200

Special Chemistry

7 am - 5 pm, M-F

7:30 am – 4 pm, weekends and holidays

5295

Bldg 54, 2200

Toxicology

24 hours daily

5293

Bldg 54, 2200

Urinalysis

24 hours daily

5207

Bldg 1, 3424

Laboratory Tests Available on a Stat Basis »
  • Acetaminophen, quantitative alcohol (ethyl)
  • Alcohol (isopropyl)
  • Alcohol (methyl)
  • Alkaline phosphatase
  • ALT (SGPT)
  • Amikacin, quantitative
  • Ammonia
  • Amphetamines screen, urine
  • Amylase (plasma, body fluid, or urine)
  • AST (SGOT)
  • Barbiturates, quantitative
  • Barbiturates screen, urine
  • Basic metabolic panel, serum
  • Beta-HydroxybutyrateBeta-HCG (beta chorionic gonadotropin)
  • Bilirubin, amniotic fluid
  • Bilirubin (direct, micro, or total)
  • B-Type natriuretic peptide (BNP)
  • Blood gases
  • Caffeine, quantitative
  • Calcium, ionized
  • Calcium, plasma
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Carbamazepine (tegretol), quantitative
  • Carboxyhemoglobin
  • Chloride (plasma, body fluid, spinal fluid, or urine)
  • Cocaine screen, urine
  • Comprehensive drug screen
  • Creatine phosphokinase (CPK)
  • Creatine phosphokinase MB fraction (CK-MB)
  • Creatinine (plasma or urine)
  • Digoxin
  • Dilantin
  • Drug comprehensive panel, serum & urine
  • Drug screen rapid, urine
  • Electrolyte panel (adult and pediatric)
  • Electrolytes, urine (Na, K, or Cl)
  • Fetal fibronectin
  • Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)
  • Gentamicin, quantitative
  • Glucose (plasma, body fluid, or spinal fluid)
  • Hemoglobin, free (plasma or urine)
  • Hypnotic screen, quantitative, serum & urine
  • Iron (limited to pediatric ingestion cases)
  • Ketones, urine
  • Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), plasma
  • Lactic acid (plasma or spinal fluid)
  • Lamotrigine, serum or plasma
  • Lecithin sphingomyelin (LS) ratio, amniotic fluid
  • Levetiracetam, serum or plasma
  • Lidocaine, quantitative
  • Lipase
  • Lithium
  • Magnesium
  • Metabolic panel, basic or comprehensive
  • Methemoglobin
  • Myoglobin
  • Neonatal bilirubin Panel
  • Occult blood, feces
  • Opiates screen, urine
  • Osmolality (serum or urine)
  • Pentobarbital, quantitative
  • Phencyclidine (PCP) screen, urine
  • Phenobarbital, quantitative
  • Phosphatidylglycerol, amniotic fluid
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium (plasma or urine)
  • Primidone (mysoline) & phenobarbital
  • Procainamide & N-Acetylprocainamide (NAPA)
  • Propoxyphene confirmation, urine
  • Protein, total (plasma or spinal fluid)
  • Pyruvate
  • Rapid drug screen
  • Salicylates, quantitative
  • Sodium (plasma, body fluid, or urine)
  • Specific gravity, urine
  • Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) screen, urine
  • Theophylline (Aminophylline), quantitative
  • Tobramycin, quantitative
  • Troponin I
  • Urea nitrogen (BUN)
  • Urea, urine
  • Uric acid
  • Urinalysis w/ or w/o microscopic
  • Urine drug screen valproic acid, quantitative
  • Vancomycin, quantitative
  • Volatiles
  • Xanthochromic panel, blood & spinal fluid
Specimen Requirements  »

Laboratory test results are dependent on the quality of the specimen submitted. If there is any doubt or question regarding the type of specimen that should be collected, it is imperative that the laboratory is called to clarify the order and specimen requirements.

Most laboratory tests are performed on serum, anticoagulated plasma, or whole blood. Please see the individual test directory listings for specific requirements.

Plasma: Draw a sufficient amount of blood with the indicated anticoagulant to yield the necessary plasma volume. Gently mix the blood collection tube by inverting 8-10 times immediately after collection. If required, separate plasma from cells by centrifugation within 20-30 minutes.

Serum: Draw a sufficient amount of blood to yield the necessary serum volume. Invert tube 5-10 times to activate clotting. Allow blood to clot at room temperature for 30 minutes. NOTE: Avoid hemolysis.

Whole Blood: Draw a sufficient amount of blood with the indicated anticoagulant. Gently mix the blood collection tube by inverting 8-10 times immediately after collection. NOTE: Tubes intended for whole blood analyses are not to be centrifuged and separated.

All patient specimens MUST be placed in biohazard bags for transport to the Laboratory.

An alphabetic and detailed list of analytes tested can be found online in our Laboratory Test Directory. Visit our Laboratory Test Directory for more information.

Contact Information »

Location and general inquiries

101 City Drive
Orange, Ca. 92868
Phone: 714-456-5201

Medical Director

Dylan Bach, MD, MBA
Phone: 714-456-7557

Chemistry requests and reports

Phone: 714-456-5507

Senior supervisor, chemistry/special chemistry

Steven Sarandis
Phone: 714-456-5906

Senior supervisor, chemistry/toxicology

Victor Barte
Phone: 714-456-8662

Supervisors, rapid response

Morning

Shirley Tungpalan
Phone: 714-456-6543

Evening

Joan Sahagun
Phone: 714-456-5215

Overnight

Cristina Reyes
Phone: 714-456-8795