For patients suspected of or diagnosed with an inborn error of metabolism that heightens the risk of critical illness or death due to metabolic decomposition, or when testing will facilitate emergent treatment decisions, STAT testing is available.
Approval of requests for STAT testing is at the discretion of the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory (BGL) clinical lab director on call to guide clinical decision-making and management decisions. Examples include:
Establishing a diagnosis during an acute crisis.
As follow-up to certain abnormal newborn screening results.
To monitor the clinical status of an acute patient with a known diagnosis.
Our laboratory aims for rapid turnaround times for all specimens in order to provide the best possible care for all patients. To accommodate STAT requests and ensure appropriate staffing, requests must be made as soon as possible after a test is ordered. Ordering laboratories must discuss the clinical indication for STAT testing with our BGL laboratory directors, who determine when STAT testing is approved.
Tests for which results are expected to provide the most clinical significance given the patient’s history and current presentation will be prioritized as STAT.
STAT testing request process
To request STAT testing, a current test order must be placed with Mayo Clinic Laboratories.
Discussion about the clinical indication for STAT testing
MLI staff will facilitate a conference call between the BGL clinical physician on call and the client lab staff, who will provide the clinical indication for STAT testing.
The BGL physician will determine whether STAT testing is approved and if so, which test(s) will be performed STAT and which will be processed routinely.
An estimated availability of results will be provided based on the anticipated specimen arrival. STAT testing may not be guaranteed for samples not received as expected.
When must notification of a STAT specimen request be made?
STAT requests must be made as soon as possible after a test is ordered.
Our staff manages as many as 40,000 specimens daily, with samples processed in the order received. All samples received require accessioning, processing, and distribution to the appropriate testing laboratory. Advance notification of STAT testing requests allows MCL staff to locate and triage specimens accordingly.
Why aren’t all requested STAT test requests approved for STAT turnaround?
Not all tests ordered at the time of the STAT request will be performed STAT. The results of tests expected to provide the most clinical significance given the patient's history and current presentation will be prioritized as STAT.
Serial STAT testing requests are discouraged. Clients should time the collection of serial monitoring specimens to align with shipping and test setup times.
Unnecessary STAT testing has the potential to delay test results and impact the care of other patients.
In the rare case that serial STAT testing is clinically necessary, communication with Mayo Clinic Laboratories and BGL director approval of each order is required.
What is the typical turnaround time for routine specimens submitted for urine organic acids (Mayo ID: OAU)?
OAU is set up Monday through Saturday. Routine testing samples need to be received in the testing laboratory the day prior to set up. Results are typically available the next day by 5 p.m.
Published turnaround time for results is 3–5 days upon arrival. On average, reports are available in 3.4 days. Results are not reported on Sundays.
Once a sample has arrived at MCL, specific turnaround time estimates can be provided by contacting 800-533-1710.
The results of STAT testing will be reported to your institution per the typical process your send out laboratory uses.
In addition, the results of STAT testing usually will be called to the number provided for the clinician caring for the patient.
In the rare event that a serial STAT request is approved by the testing laboratory, the result of the first specimen will be called. The results of subsequent STAT specimens might not be called to the ordering physician.
A nominal fee is assessed for the additional handling and triage of the specimen from the MCL receiving facility to the testing laboratory.
As of February 2025, BGL does not charge an additional fee to cover the costs incurred by the testing laboratory to perform STAT testing. We reserve the right to implement a fee in the future.
Specific pricing inquiries should be directed to MLI at 800-533-1710 and will require an account number.
