Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Plasma
Draw blood in a green-top (lithium heparin) tube. 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 and the phlebotomist’s initials.

Serum
Draw blood in a gold-top (serum separator) gel tube. 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. 

Specimen stability:   
8 hours at room temperature
3 days refrigerated at 2-8°C
6 months when frozen at ≤ -20°C 

Minimum volume:    
0.5 mL