Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Preferred

Plasma:

Draw blood in a green-top (lithium heparin) tube from a fasting patient (8 hours preferred). Spin down and send 1 mL of lithium heparin plasma refrigerated. Label the specimen with the patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of draw, phlebotomist’s initials, and as plasma.  Hemolyzed or lipemic specimen is not acceptable.

Alternate

Serum:

Draw blood in a serum gel tube(s) from a fasting patient (8 hour preferred). Label the specimen with the patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of draw, phlebotomist’s initials, and as serum. Spin down and send 1 mL of serum refrigerated. Hemolyzed or lipemic specimen is not acceptable.

Note:  Glucose will drop 5.0 mg/dL to 10 mg/dL per hour in an unseparated, ambient serum gel tube.

Specimen stability:   8 hours at room temperature when spun

                                    3 days at 2-8°C

                                     ≥-20°C for longer storage

Minimum volume:  1 mL