Testing Laboratory
Auckland Te Toka Tumai | Auckland HospitalDepartment
Chemical Pathology
Delphic Registration Code (Alpha Code)
Alpha Code: SCRE, Numeric Code: 0105
Jaffe creatinine: Alpha Code: CREJ, Numeric Code: 5022
Enzymatic creatinine: Alpha Code: ECRE, Numeric Code: 5021
Laboratory Handling
Sample Stability
Enzymatic 7 days at 15-25°C, 7 days at 2-8°C, 3 months at -20°C.
Jaffe 7 days at 15-25°C, 7 days at 2-8°C, 3 months at -20°C
Associated Tests
Synonyms
Creatinine Enzymatic, Enzymatic Creatinine, Creatinine Jaffe, Jaffe Creatinine
Turnaround Time
3 hours
Specimen Type
- Plasma
- Serum
Specimen Requirements
Tube/Container Type:
Preferred
- Lithium Heparin PST- Gel (Light Green Cap)
Acceptable
- Lithium Heparin - Non-gel (Green Cap)
- Plain (Red Top)
- SST II (Gold Cap)
Preferred Sample Volume (ml)
5
Minimum Sample Volume (ml)
3.5
No of Samples Required
1
Paediatric Specimen Requirements
Tube/Container Type:
Preferred
- Lithium Heparin PST- Gel (Light Green Cap)
Acceptable
- Plain (Red Top)
Preferred Sample Volume (ml)
0.5
Minimum Sample Volume (ml)
0.5
Pre-testing Requirements
Overnight fasting samples are recommended (or no meat intake for 12 hours before sampling) but not required.
Additional Specimen Information
0.5 mL Paediatric Microtainer PST Blood (Preferred)
0.5 mL Paediatric Microtainer Plain Blood
As of 27/03/2025, the default method for creatinine testing is the enzymatic method unless specified otherwise on the lab request form.
The only exceptions are paediatric ICU patients and clinical trials patients, who will continue to default to Jaffe.
See the section on 'Method Differences' below for more information.
Specimen reception
When Enzymatic Creatinine is requested please register ECRE instead of SCRE.
When Jaffe Creatinine is requested please register CREJ instead of SCRE.
When both Creatinine Jaffe and Enzymatic Creatinine are requested, please register CREJ and ECRE.
Automation
When there is a patient with a high bilirubin there is significant interference with the Jaffe method and clinicians will request Enzymatic Creatinine.
Last updated: 18/09/2026