Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Riverside Inpatient or Riverside Campus draw sites:

Testing must be performed within 4 hours of draw if submitting unprocessed whole blood.

Draw a full, light blue-top (citrate) tube; and send citrated whole blood. Invert several times to mix blood. Forward unprocessed whole blood promptly at ambient temperature only. Do not refrigerate.

Note:  1. This assay requires it’s own specimen.

2. Heparin may interfere with results.

3. Gross hemolysis, lipemia, or icteric specimen may affect results.

4. Indicate whole blood on request form.

5. Label specimen appropriately (whole blood).

Outpatient/Outreach Clients

Plasma

Draw a full, light blue-top (citrate) tube. Spin down, remove plasma, spin plasma again, and place 1 mL of citrated platelet-poor plasma in plastic vial. (Glass vial is not acceptable.) Pour-off vial should be no more than 1/3 full, if any more, than do another aliquot. Send specimen frozen.

Note:  1. This assay requires it’s own specimen.

2. Heparin may interfere with results.

3. Gross hemolysis, lipemia, or icteric specimens may affect results.

4. Indicate plasma on request form.

5. Label specimen appropriately (plasma).