Specimen Type:

Whole Blood

Container Type:

2.7 mL or 1.8 mL blue top tube:

Optimal Collection Volume:

• 2.7 mL in solid blue top tube or 1.8 mL in clear blue top tube.  The correct fill volume is indicated by the etched line on the tube.
• Click here to view the specimen collection guide for blue top (citrate) tubes.

Collection Instructions:

1. Gently invert 5 to 10 times to mix blood.
2. If collected through a blood collection set (butterfly), a discard tube must first be drawn to eliminate dead space from tubing.  

Specimen Transport Temperature:

• Room temperature up to 24 hours. If testing is delayed, separate plasma and freeze (see outpatient collection instructions below.
• Specimens cannot be refrigerated.

Processing Instructions:

1. Centrifuge sample within 4 hours of collection.  Platelet poor plasma must be obtained per laboratory procedure.
2. If testing will be delayed >4 hours from collection, aliquot plasma into separate vial and freeze immediately.

Outpatient collections

1. Spin down sample, remove plasma, and spin plasma again to obtain platelet-poor plasma.
2. Separate platelet-poor plasma into a screw-top vial.
3. Freeze plasma immediately.