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Test Code TRIG Triglycerides and Calculated Very Low-Density Lipoprotein

Additional Codes

Cerner

NextGen

Triglycerides

Triglycerides

Methodology

Colorimetric (reflectance spectrophotometry).

Patient Preparation

12 hour fasting: Tests Requiring Fasting and Fasting Instructions

Collection Instructions

Standard phlebotomy practices.

Specimen Requirements

Container

Specimen Type

Tube

Lithium Heparin Plasma

PST

 or  or 

Serum

 or 

SST

 or  or 

 

Stability

Storage

Temperature

Stability

Room Temperature

18-28°C

≤ 3 days

 If separated within 4 hours

Refrigerated

 2-8°C

≤ 7 days

If separated within 4 hours

Frozen

≤-18 °C

≤ 6 months

If separated within 4 hours

Rejection Criteria

Gross Hemolysis

Result Reporting and Reference Values

Reported as mg/dL.

  • Triglyceride:
    • Pediatric:

Age

Low

High

0 – 18Y

60

135
    • Adult (18 – 150Y) reference intervals are recommended by NCEP:

Triglycerides Classification

Normal Range

Normal

<150

Borderline High

150 - 199

High

200 - 499

Very High

≥500
  • VLDL:

Age

Low

High

0 – 150Y

0

30

Reflex Testing

None

Limitations

  • VLDL calculation is not accurate if Triglycerides are >400 mg/dL and will be resulted as “Invalid due to Triglyceride values >400 mg/dL”.
  • Ortho reports a bias with the following:
    • Ethamsylate can cause a negative bias
    • Hydroxyurea can cause a negative bias
    • L-Dopa can cause a negative bias
    • N-acetylcysteine can cause a negative bias
  • High levels of endogenous free glycerol in serum will cause inaccurate triglyceride measurement.
  • Ortho reports no significant effect with the following: 
    • Bilirubin up to 27 mg/dL
    • Hemoglobin up to 600 mg/dL
  • The following interpretive data is visible to practitioner:
    • Triglyceride results from samples containing high endogenous free glycerol as seen in certain clinical conditions (diabetes mellitus, cardiac ischemia, some drugs used in the treatment of lipemia) will not reflect actual serum triglycerides.

Useful For

Triglycerides, fatty acid esters of glycerol, represent the major form of fat found in the body; their primary function is to store and provide cellular energy. The concentration of triglycerides in the plasma at any given time is a balance between the rates of entry and removal. Triglyceride concentrations in the plasma vary with age and gender. Moderate increases occur during growth and development. Triglycerides are used for the evaluation of hyperlipidemias; high concentrations may occur with hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, glycogen storage diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Extremely high triglyceride concentrations are common in acute pancreatitis.