Maternal Serum Screen, Alpha Fetoprotein

Specimen:

Collect

  • One SST

Also Acceptable:
  • One Red Top

Submit

  • 1 mL (Min:0.5 mL) Serum in Standard Transport Tube. Submit Refrigerated. Submit in a Standard Transport Tube.

Also Acceptable:
  • 1 mL (Min:0.5 mL) Serum in Standard Transport Tube. Submit Refrigerated. Submit in a Standard Transport Tube.

Special Handling

  • Avoid Repeated Freeze/Thaw Cycles
  • Specimen must be drawn between 14 weeks, 0 days and 24 weeks, 6 days gestation.
    Special Form - Patient History for Maternal Serum Testing

    Submit with Order:
    Patient's date of birth, current weight, due
    date, dating method (US, LMP), number of fetuses present,
    patient's race, if the patient was diabetic at the time of
    conception, if there is a known family history of neural tube
    defects, if the patient is currently smoking, if the patient is
    taking valproic acid or carbamazepine (Tegretol), if this is a
    repeat sample, and the age of the egg donor if an in vitro
    fertilization.

Rejection Criteria

  • Grossly Hemolyzed Samples
  • Plasma

Stability

Ambient: 3 Day(s); Refrigerated: 2 Week(s); Frozen: 12 Month(s); Incubated: Unacceptable

Methodology

  • Quantitative Chemiluminescent Immunoassay

Performed

Sun-Sat

Reported

3-4 Day(s)

CPT Codes

  • 82105

Interpretive Data

Please see report for interpretive data.

Components

  • 93241 - SPECIMEN
  • 93248 - Maternal Age
  • 93242 - DATING
  • 93202 - Est. Due Date
  • 93252 - Gestational Age
  • 93238 - Maternal Weight
  • 93243 - Mat. Insulin DM
  • 93244 - Family Hx of NTD
  • 93245 - Maternal Race
  • 93246 - Number of Fetuses
  • 93169 - Patients AFP
  • 93239 - MoM for AFP
  • 93240 - Interpretation
  • 92052 - SMOKING
Last Updated: August 29, 2025 @ 9:13 am

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Common Lab Definitions

  • Serum 
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  • STT