Specimen Requirements

Draw blood in a gold-top (serum separater) gel tube(s) from a fasting patient (12 hour preferred). Spin down and send 1 mL of serum refrigerated. Label specimen with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of draw, and phlebotomist’s initials.

Notes:

1. Patient should be drawn in the morning (circadian rhythm affects iron).

2. Specimen should be drawn before patient is given therapeutic iron or blood transfusion. Iron determinations on patients who have had a blood transfusion(s) should be delayed 3 days.

Hemolyzed specimens are not acceptable.

Specimen stability:

4 days at room temperature

7 days refrigerated at 2-8°C

60 days when frozen at ≤ -20°C

Minimum volume:      1 mL