Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 2.0 mL royal blue serum
Supplies for Submission
Royal Blue Top (1) no additives
Specimen Collection
- Centrifuge sample from a royal blue trace metal-free tube without additive within 2 hours of collection.
- Separate serum from cells.
- Label a plastic transport 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 serum from Royal Blue Top. - Transfer serum to tube and refrigerate.
Storage Requirements
Refrigerated.
Specimens are stable if stored at room temperature for 30 days, refrigerated for 6 weeks, or frozen for 6 weeks.
Causes for Rejections
Specimens collected in SST or non-(trace metal)-free tubes are not accepted.