Specimen Requirements

Container Type: 3.2% Sodium Citrate Plasma (Blue Top)
Specimen Type: Whole blood or Citrated plasma
Preferred Volume: 1.8 mL or 2.7 mL whole blood; 2 mL plasma
Emergency Minimum Volume: 0.5 mL plasma
Collection Procedure: Fill blue top tube to indicator line. Test must be performed within 8 hours of specimen collection or centrifuge at 2000 g for 15 minutes and freeze aliquot of plasma.
Specimen Processing: Specimens should be transported uncentrifuged or centrifuged with plasma remaining on top of the cells in an unopened tube kept at room temperature. If time interval between drawing and testing exceeds 8 hours, centrifuge specimen, separate plasma, recentrifuge, separate into clean plastic tube, and freeze at -20^øC or less.
Unacceptable Condition: Refrigerated specimens. Severely hemolyzed, clotted samples or inappropriately filled blue top tubes, specimens more than 8 hours old that have not been separated and frozen at -20^øC or less.
Stability: