Specimen Requirements

Draw blood in a full, blue-top (3.2% sodium citrate) tube. The tube must be filled to a 9:1 blood to anticoagulant ratio. Invert 6 times to mix blood, and place tube in crushed ice. Spin down, remove plasma, and place 1 mL of citrate platelet-poor plasma in plastic vial. (Glass vial is not acceptable.) Label specimen with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of draw, and phlebotomist’s initials.

Specimen rejection criteria:

Clotted or hemolyzed specimen

Hematocrit >55%

Incorrect anticoagulant

Overfilled or underfilled tubes 

Specimen stability:  8 hours at toom temperature

                                    1 month frozen at ≥-20°C

Minimum volume:     0.5 mL of citrated plasma