Special Handling Instructions

Inpatients: Deliver to Laboratory within 4 hours of collection. Specimens greater than 4 hours old will be rejected due to specimen stability.

Outpatients: Un-centrifuged or centrifuged with plasma remaining on top of the cells are stable for 4 hours from time of collection at room temperature. 

If unable to deliver to the Laboratory within 4 hours of collection:

Centrifuge the light blue top tube

Transfer plasma to a plastic vial

Centrifuge plasma in the plastic vial a second time to remove platelets

Transfer sample into another plastic vial

Label vial plasma

Freeze immediately