One 7.5 mL serum separator tube (SST). Also acceptable: One 5 mL red top tube. Note: Collect at least 4 mL in tube.
Handling:
Allow to clot, centrifuge and separate serum from cells within 2 hours. Refrigerate. Freeze if specimen cannot be assayed within 7 days. Allow no more than one freeze/thaw cycle.
Stability:
7 days refrigerated at 2-8 degrees C, or 2 months frozen at -20 degrees C.
Standard Volume:
1 mL serum.
Minimum Volume:
0.5 mL serum.
Transport:
Refrigerated, or ifrozen on dry ice.
Comments:
Grossly lipemic specimen may yield falsely elevated values.
Rejection Criteria:
Gross hemolysis; gross lipemia; more than one freeze/thaw cycle.