Specimen Requirements

Container Type: EDTA Plasma (Lavender Top)
Specimen Type: Plasma
Preferred Volume: 5 mL
Emergency Minimum Volume: 1 mL
Patient Prep: Smoking should be avoided prior to sample collection. Have wet ice at draw site. Tube to be placed immediately into wet ice upon draw. Keep on ice until specimen is processed (within 20 min).
Collection Procedure: Do not collect with syringe; draw directly into vacutainer EDTA tube. Fill tube completely and keep specimen capped. Cannot be collected by heelstick method. If specimen is to be delivered directly to hospital laboratory, it must be put on wet ice immediately after collection and received within 20 minutes if unspun.
Specimen Processing: SEPARATE PLASMA FROM THE CELLS WITHIN 20 MINUTES OF COLLECTION (by spinning in Stat-Spin for 3 minutes or by centrifuging for 10 minutes using pre-cooled bucket liner). Place in separate plastic tube and FLASH freeze. Store and transport frozen.  Once frozen, the specimen does not need to be picked up STAT.
Unacceptable Conditions: Grossly Hemolyzed specimens. Specimens collected in sursep tubes. Heel/Finger stick collections. 

Ammonia concentrations can increase in vitro due to breakdown of plasma components. Specimens outside of acceptable stability as mentioned below will be rejected.

Stability: