Instructions for Collection and Transport

Transport to laboratory ASAP. Fill tube to the stated capacity. Do not underfull or overfill past tube’s vacuum capacity. If the patient’ know hematocrit is above 55%, an adjustment of the ration of anticoagulant to blood is necessary. Call the laboratory for a special prepared collection tube for that hematocrit value. Samples are stable for 24 hours and may be left as whole blood or centrifuged. Samples should remain stoppered to prevent evaporation and possiable changes in pH. Refigerate samples if testing is to be delayed for more than two hours. Samples held at room temperature will be accepted. Samples that must be held longer than 24 hours must be centrifuged, aliquoted and frozen.

Centrifuge blood specimens at a time and speed to consistently acheive platelet-poor plasma <10,000. If testing is not completed within 24 hours for PT specimens and 4 hours for APTT and other assay specimens, plasma should be removed from the cells, aliquoted into a plastic vial and frozen at -20C for up to two weeks and -70C for up to six months.  A frost-free freezer should NOT be used.  Transport on dry ice  (Ref: CLSI H21-4A)