Clinical Chemistry

Clinical Chemistry is open 24 hours a day - 7 days a week; Call Client Services 804-828-PATH (828-7284); 1-800-363-9234

The VCUHS Clinical Chemistry Laboratory provides STAT and routine laboratory test analysis. The Chemistry Laboratory offers rapid turn-around-time with a highly automated laboratory that performs most tests continuously around the clock. Many of these tests can be performed on fluids other than serum or plasma. For more information, please visit our Pathology Laboratory Services Catalog.

Highlights of our comprehensive menu of testing services include:

• Ethylene Glycol – Measurement of serum ethylene glycol concentration determined by gas chromatography.
• Alcohols - Identification and quantification of methanol, acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol by headspace gas chromatography.
• Drug of abuse screening - Drugs of abuse screening for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, and PCP in urine; Barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, and opiates in serum. Confirmation by GC/MS available upon request.
• Therapeutic drug monitoring available for a Therapeutic Drugs List (pdf).
• Hemoglobin Fractionation and Quantification - Quantification of major variant hemoglobins (Hgb S, Hgb C, Hgb F, Hgb A, Hgb A2) and identification of rare variants by capillary electrophoresis.
• Lipid Testing – Quantification of lipids with accuracy verified by participation in the CDC Lipid Standardization Program.  
• Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone (iPTH) Testing – Streamlined processing for STAT quantification of PTH during surgery.
• IgA for pediatric testing – Measurement of IgA concentrations with a lower limit of quantification appropriate for pediatric patients.
• Sweat Chloride – Quantification of sweat chloride by coulometric titration, a chloride reference method recommended by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

September 2024: Certified Participant List - CDC Lipid Standardization Programs (CDC LSP)