Specimen Requirements

Surgery should be scheduled for a.m. Usual protocol involves a preoperative specimen, a pre-excision specimen drawn when parathyroid is visualized, but prior to excision, and 1 or more post-excision specimen(s) drawn 10 minutes after excision. For each specimen, call RMH Special Testing Laboratory to let them know that specimen is en route. This speeds testing process and assures timely receipt of results.

Draw a full, lavender-top (EDTA) tube; and send EDTA whole blood. Avoid manipulations likely to cause hemolysis (eg, dispensing whole blood through a syringe needle into VACUTAINER®). Tube must be full; incomplete filling of tube results in falsely lowered results. Forward unprocessed whole blood promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note: 

1. Hemolyzed and lipemic samples are not acceptable. 

2. Heterophile antibodies may interfere with this assay.