Specimen Requirements
Minimum of 1.5 mL serum.
Supplies for Submission
SST/Gold Top (1)
Specimen Collection
- Allow serum separator tube (SST) contents to clot in an upright position for at least 30 minutes.
- 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.
- Transfer serum to the tube and refrigerate.
Storage Requirements
Refrigerated.
Specimens are stable if refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 1 month.
Causes for Rejections
Specimens with the following conditions are not accepted:
- hemolysis
- lipemia
- contaminated
- plasma
- multiple freeze/thaw cycles