Guide to Diagnostic Tests
Cortisol, serum or plasma
Test/Range/Collection
Cortisol, plasma or serum
8:00 AM: 5–20 mcg/dL
[140–550 nmol/L]
(time-dependent)
8 hrs post 1 mg dexamethasone given at midnight: 0–5 mcg/dL;
30–60 min post 25 units Cosyntropin [intravenously: >20 mcg/dL]
SST, PPT (light green)
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Citation
Nicoll, Diana, et al. "Cortisol, Serum or Plasma." Guide to Diagnostic Tests, 7th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2017. Anesthesia Central, anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619111/2/Cortisol_serum_or_plasma.
Nicoll DD, Lu CMC, McPhee SJS. Cortisol, serum or plasma. Guide to Diagnostic Tests. McGraw-Hill Education; 2017. https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619111/2/Cortisol_serum_or_plasma. Accessed November 3, 2025.
Nicoll, D., Lu, C. M., & McPhee, S. J. (2017). Cortisol, serum or plasma. In Guide to Diagnostic Tests (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619111/2/Cortisol_serum_or_plasma
Nicoll DD, Lu CMC, McPhee SJS. Cortisol, Serum or Plasma [Internet]. In: Guide to Diagnostic Tests. McGraw-Hill Education; 2017. [cited 2025 November 03]. Available from: https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619111/2/Cortisol_serum_or_plasma.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Cortisol, serum or plasma
ID - 619111
A1 - Lu,Chuanyi Mark,
AU - Nicoll,Diana,
AU - McPhee,Stephen J,
BT - Guide to Diagnostic Tests
UR - https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619111/2/Cortisol_serum_or_plasma
PB - McGraw-Hill Education
ET - 7
DB - Anesthesia Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
