Specimen Requirements

Serum
Draw blood in either a gold-top (serum separator) gel tube or a red-top (no additives) tube. Label the specimen with the patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of draw, the phlebotomist’s initials and as serum. Spin down and send 1 mL of serum refrigerated. 

Serum should be separated from clotted blood within 2 hours of collection.

Specimen stability:   
8 hours at room temperature
48 hours refrigerated at 2-8°C
Freeze at  ≤ -20°C for longer storage. 

Minimum volume:    
1 mL

Specimen rejection criteria:

Hemolyzed, icteric or grossly contaminated samples are not acceptable.