Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 0.3 mL serum; alternately 1.0 mL plasma
Supplies for Submission
SST/Gold Top (1); alternately Green Top (1) or Lavender Top (1)
Specimen Collection
Collect specimen between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Label serum separator tube (SST) 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.
- SST specimen - centrifuge within 2 hours of collection and refrigerate.
- Green Top or Lavender Top specimen - centrifuge immediately, transfer plasma to a plastic transport tube labelled appropriately and as heparin or EDTA plasma, and refrigerate.
Storage Requirements
Refrigerated.
After separation from cells, specimens are stable if refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 6 months.