Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 0.5 mL EDTA plasma
Supplies for Submission
Lavender Top (1)
Specimen Collection
For patients receiving therapy with high biotin doses (> 5 mg/day), wait for at least 8 hours following the last biotin administration before collecting samples.
- Collect blood in a chilled, siliconized glass or plastic tube. Immediately immerse in an ice bath.
- Centrifuge sample and separate plasma from cells immediately.
- 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 EDTA plasma.
- Transfer plasma to the tube and freeze - send this aliquot separately when multiple tests are ordered.
Storage Requirements
Critical Frozen (CFZ).
After separation from cells, specimens are stable if frozen for 10 weeks (-70 °C).
Causes for Rejections
Specimens stored at room temperature or serum specimens are not accepted.