Collection Instructions

Specimen Collection: Blood

Container(s): Blue top (3.2% Na. Citrate)

Preferred Volume to Collect: 2.7 mL (full tube)

Minimum Volume to Collect: 1.8 mL (full tube)

Capillary collect ok: No

Microtainer acceptable: No

COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS

• Detailed instructions (link): Anticoagulant Correction for High Hematocrit

• Detailed instructions (link): Blue Citrate Tube

• Tube must be full. Do not over fill or under fill; look for the fill indicator lines.

• Gently invert 8 - 10 times to mix anticoagulant with blood.
• Specimen should be processed within 1 hour – See Processing Instructions below.

PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS (Laboratory, Outpatient or Off-site collection)

Processed Specimen: Platelet Poor Plasma with a platelet count <10 X 10⁹/L

Centrifuge/Spin: Yes

Aliquot: Yes

Processing Instructions:

• Centrifuge and remove plasma within 1 hour of collection.

  • For detailed instructions to prepare platelet poor plasma please use the following (link): Preparing Platelet Poor Plasma

• Separate plasma into 2-3 aliquots, minimum of 0.5 mL each.
• Freeze aliquots in plastic transport tubes immediately.

Transport Temperature:

• Ambient (up to 1 hour in whole blood state)
• Frozen (plasma only >4 hours)