Specimen Requirements

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Container/Tube: Blue top (3.2% sodium citrate)

Specimen Volume: Full tube

Aliquot Volume: 1 mL double-spun plasma

Aliquot Minimum Volume: 0.5 mL double-spun plasma

Collection Instructions:

1. Immediately after draw, invert tube several times to mix blood with additive.

2. Send specimen in original tube.

3. If there is a delay in transport of >4 hours, specimen must be double-centrifuged and frozen to prepare a platelet-free plasma specimen as follows:

Double-Spun Plasma Preparation:

a. Immediately centrifuge at 3,200 rpm for 15 minutes.

b. Carefully remove plasma from cells avoiding platelet/buffy coat, and transfer plasma into a plastic tube.

c. Centrifuge plastic tube at 3,200 rpm for 15 minutes.

d. Carefully remove top portion of plasma and transfer plasma into a plastic tube leaving approximately 250 mL in bottom to discard.

e. Double-centrifuged plasma should be aliquoted into a clearly labeled plastic tube. (Glass vial is not acceptable.)

f. Send 1 mL plasma frozen.  Specimen should be frozen at <-40° C, if possible, and sent together in same container with at least 5 lbs of dry ice. Specimens must arrive in a frozen state.

Additional Information: Double-centrifuged specimen is critical for accurate results as platelet contamination may cause spurious results.