Cortisol (Saliva)
Clinical Biochemistry
Sample and container requirements
Saliva (salivette)
Minimum volume required
500 µL saliva
Special requirements
None
Patient preparation
Individuals should avoid eating and brushing teeth for 30 minutes before collecting saliva samples to minimise the potential for blood contamination. Saliva specimens should be collected using a Sarstedt cortisol salivette. Saliva collected into a plain container by passive drool is also acceptable.
Sample viability
Turnaround time
21 days
Reference range
Early morning range (7 – 9 a.m.): 3.2 – 22.8 nmol/L Late night range (11 p.m. – 12 a.m.): <3.2 nmol/L (Source: locally derived)
Clinical guidance
Please refer to LabTestsOnlineUK to learn more about cortisol. https://labtestsonline.org.uk/tests/cortisol-test
Notes
Salivettes for saliva collection can be ordered from the laboratory on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site.
Images to go here
This information was last updated on 19 August 2026