Green (sodium or lithium heparin) OR Serum Separator Tube (SST) OR Red Top Tube – 0.5 ml plasma or serum protected from light.
Required volume
Green (sodium or lithium heparin) OR Serum Separator Tube (SST) OR Red Top Tube – 0.5 ml plasma or serum protected from light.
Routine turnaround
3-6 days
Before collection
Patient should fast for 12 hours and abstain from alcohol for 24 hours prior to collection.
Timing, specimen options and instructions reflect the source snapshot.
FROM COLLECTION TO THE LAB
Specimen & handling
Specimen
Serum / Plasma
Container
Green (sodium or lithium heparin) OR Serum Separator Tube (SST) OR Red Top Tube – 0.5 ml plasma or serum protected from light.
Required volume
Green (sodium or lithium heparin) OR Serum Separator Tube (SST) OR Red Top Tube – 0.5 ml plasma or serum protected from light.
Preparation
Patient should fast for 12 hours and abstain from alcohol for 24 hours prior to collection.
Collection instructions
Green (sodium or lithium heparin) OR Serum Separator Tube (SST) OR Red Top Tube – 0.5 ml plasma or serum protected from light.
Processing
Follow all precaution for handling biological material. Use all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Separate serum or plasma from cells ASAP and Transfer serum or plasma to a Standard Amber Transport Tube.
Storage
Refrigerated.
Stability
After separation from cells: Ambient: Unacceptable; Refrigerated: 1 week; Frozen: 1 month
Rejection criteria
Whole blood; Not Protected from Light; Specimen received with mismatched or no patient identifiers; Specimen received outside of stability requirements.
Technical information & codes+
Methodology
Quantitative High Performance Liquid Chromatography
CPT code
84590
Codes are shown for identification from the source snapshot. Confirm current coding and billing information with the laboratory.
