Specimen Requirements

Preferred Collection Container: 

Light Green (Lithium Heparin Plasma Separator Tube)
SST (Serum Separator)

Also Acceptable Collection Container: 

Green No Gel (Lithium Heparin)
Red (No Additive)
Plasma from Lavender tubes is acceptable but will not route in the Laboratory Information System (Sunquest).

Collection Information: 

Collect blood in a light green lithium heparin plasma separator tube or serum separator tube.

Transport Information: 

Centrifuge and aliquot 0.5 mL serum or plasma into a plastic transport vial. Send refrigerated.

Minimum Sample Volume: 

0.2 mL of serum or plasma (approximately 0.4 mL of whole blood based upon a normal patient hematocrit)

Unacceptable Conditions: 

Heat inactivated serum, grossly lipemic or grossly hemolyzed samples