One 5 mL gold (SST) top tube. Protected from light.

Also acceptable: Plasma collected in: green (sodium heparin) top tube protected from light, Foil wrapped transport tube protected from light.

1 mL frozen serum (Min: 0.5 mL).

* Collection Instructions *

• Centrifuge within 1 hour of collection.
• Immediately separate serum from the cells into a clean, plastic transport tube.
• Freeze. Protect from light.
• If unable to centrifuge immediately, sample should be covered with aluminum foil immediately and place don ice until serum can be separated from cells.
• Transport to the laboratory frozen.

Patient preparation

• Overnight fasting is preferred.
• Refrain from eating fruits and from taking vitamin C supplements for 24 ours prior to collection.

Ambient: Unacceptable

Refrigerated: Unacceptable

Frozen -20° C: 8 hours

Frozen -70° C: 35 days

• Hemolysis
• Lipemia
• Received room temperature
• Received refrigerated
• Not protected from light
• EDTA plasma
• Lithium heparin plasma
• Thawed samples
• Samples not received at -70°C