1-5 days after setup at PeaceHealth Laboratories’ reference lab.
CPT Code:
87798-90
Specimen Collection Details
Collection:
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a sterile screw cap vial. Also acceptable: Blood in one 5 mL red top tube, one 7.5 mL serum separator tube (SST), or two 4 mL lavender (EDTA); or tissue biopsy. Freeze tissue immediately.
Handling:
CSF: 1 mL in sterile screw cap vial, refrigerated within 8 hours of collection. Red top tube, lavender top tube (EDTA), or SST: spin and separate 1 mL serum or plasma into plastic vial within 4 hours of collection. Tissue biopsy: fresh tissue flash frozen on dry ice. Specimen source required. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue can be submitted but is not an optimal specimen. Sterile technique required for handling specimen.
Stability:
8 hours ambient (excludes tissue), 72 hours refrigerated (excludes tissue), or 1 year frozen.
Standard Volume:
1 mL CSF, serum or plasma.
Minimum Volume:
0.5 mL CSF, serum or plasma.
Transport:
Refrigerated (excludes tissue).
Comments:
A negative result does not rule out the presence of PCR inhibitors in the patient specimen or EBV DNA in concentrations below the level of detection by the assay.
Rejection Criteria:
Heparinized, frozen or clotted whole blood; specimen not refrigerated within 8 hours of collection; non-sterile or leakiing container; tissue in formalin or other preservative; specimen in M4.