Vitamin K1

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB3334, Beaker: Vitamin K1, Quest: 36585

Department

Send Outs

Instructions

Fasting for a minimum of 8 hours required.
Patient should refrain from eating liver and taking multivitamins or vitamin K at least 24 hours before sample collection.

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect (preferred specimen): One Lavender-top EDTA tube.
Also acceptable: One Pink-top EDTA tube. And protect from light.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Centrifuge to separate plasma from cells within one hour of collection. Transfer serum to an amber plastic transport tube and freeze (-20°C/-4°F or below). Freeze. Do not thaw. Samples received frozen but not protected from light are acceptable.

If unable to centrifuge immediately, sample should be covered with aluminum foil immediately and placed on ice until plasma can be separated from cells. Transport plasma to the laboratory frozen.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: 1.0 mL plasma in amber transport tube, frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below). (Minimum: 0.5 mL)

Rejection Criteria

• Lipemic specimens.
• Specimens not collected and processed as indicated.

In-Lab Processing

Centrifuge to separate serum from cells within one hour of collection. Transfer serum to an amber plastic transport tube and freeze (-20°C/-4°F or below). Freeze. Do not thaw. Samples received frozen but not protected from light are acceptable.

If unable to centrifuge immediately, sample should be covered with aluminum foil immediately and placed on ice until plasma can be separated from cells. Transport plasma to the laboratory frozen..

Transport: 2.0 mL plasma, in an amber transport tube, frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below). (Minimum: 0.5 mL)

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 24 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 24 hours
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): 90 days

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Specimen retention time is determined by the policy of the reference laboratory. Contact the Send Outs Laboratory with any questions.

Laboratory

Sent to Quest Diagnostics, Wood Dale, IL.

Performed

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
Results available in 4-6 days.

Reference Range

By report.

Test Methodology

Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.

Interpretation

130-1500 pg/mL

Clinical Utility

Vitamin K₁ – Vitamin K₁ is a required co-factor for the synthesis of factors 2, 7, 9, and 10 and proteins C and S. Deficiencies of vitamin K lead to bleeding. Coumadin® (warfarin) acts as an anticoagulant because it is a vitamin K antagonist.

CPT Codes

84597
LOINC:  9622-2

Contacts

Last Updated

11/19/2025