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: 0.3mL serum
Unacceptable Conditions
Grossly hemolyzed specimens, more than one freeze/thaw cycle.
Storage Transport Temp
Offsite: Frozen. Send serum Priority Overnight via FedEx and in a well insulated container on dry ice.
Stability
8 hours room temperature
48 hours refrigerated at 2-8°C
>48 hour frozen at -20°C