Collect
Plain red top or SST tube.
Specimen Preparation
Onsite [NJH]: Transport to lab within 1 hour.
Offsite: Separate serum from cells within 2 hours by centrifuge and aliquot into a labeled polypropylene or similar plastic tube.
Preferred volume: 1 mL serum
Pediatric Collection
Minimum volume: 0.15 mL serum
Unacceptable Conditions
Thawed specimen.
Storage Transport Temp
Offsite: Send frozen serum Priority Overnight via FedEx and in a well insulated container on dry ice.
Stability
Stability after cell separation:
4 hours at RT (15-25°C)
8 days at 2-8°C
3 months frozen at ≥ -20°C