title: Effect of storage on measurement of ionized calcium in serum of uremic patients.
abstract: We studied, in 70 acidotic and non-acidotic uremic patients, the analytical variance in serum ionized calcium as related to duration and temperature of storage. Storage of serum or whole blood at 4 degrees C for as long as 6 h did not significantly alter the measured concentration of ionized calcium in the serum. Storage at room temperature for 6 h, or longer at 4 degrees C or -20 degrees C, resulted in inaccuracies in 39 to 79% of the samples of serum and in 38 to 92% of the samples of whole blood. These errors were not negated by correcting the values for ionized calcium to a pH of 7.40. Indeed, corrected values for calcium were even more unreliable in acidotic patients. We conclude that samples from uremic patients should be analyzed for ionized calcium within 2 h, or within 6 h if stored at 4 degrees C.
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013696:Temperature; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium