Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 3.0 mL heparin plasma; alternately 3.0 mL EDTA plasma
Supplies for Submission
Green Top Sodium heparin (1); alternately Lavender Top (1)
Specimen Collection
- Patient should abstain from alcohol consumption for at least 24 hours prior to sample collection.
- Include a list of the patient’s current medications on the requisition.
- Protect sample from light during collection, storage, and transport.
- Label an amber aliquot tube with two identifiers. Acceptable identifiers include patient’s name, date of birth, social security number, requisition number, and medical record number.
Label the tube as heparin plasma. - Centrifuge and separate plasma from cells immediately.
- Transfer plasma to the amber tube and freeze (protect from light) - send this aliquot separately when multiple tests are ordered.
Storage Requirements
Critical Frozen (CFZ)