Minimum of 1.5 mL serum; alternately 1.5 mL serum from Red Top tube
Supplies for Submission
SST/Gold Top (1); alternately Red Top (1)
Specimen Collection
Patient should fast overnight prior to collection.
Allow serum separator tube (SST) contents to clot in an upright position for at least 30 minutes (60 minutes for Red Top tube).
Centrifuge within 2 hours of collection.
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.
Transfer serum to the tube and freeze.
Storage Requirements
Frozen. Specimens are stable if frozen for 2 months.
Causes for Rejections
Specimens with the following conditions are not accepted: