Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 3.0 mL whole blood and 1.0 mL serum
Supplies for Submission
Lavender Top (1), SST/Gold Top (1)
Specimen Collection
- Label serum separator tube (SST) and a Lavender Top tube with two identifiers. Acceptable identifiers include patient’s name, date of birth, social security number, requisition number, and medical record number.
- Allow SST contents to clot in an upright position for at least 30 minutes.
- Centrifuge within 2 hours of collection and refrigerate both serum and whole blood specimens.
Storage Requirements
Refrigerated.
Whole blood – Specimens are stable if refrigerated for 1 week.
Serum – After separation from cells, specimens are stable if refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for 2 weeks.
Causes for Rejections
Frozen whole blood or serum not separated from cells are not accepted.