Specimen Requirements

Container/Tube: Light blue-top (sodium citrate) tube

Specimen: 2.7 mL of sodium citrate whole blood

Transport Temperature: Ambient.
Specimen stability: stable for 8 hours at room temperature.

Collection Instructions: Tube must be full. Do not centrifuge. If collected through an indwelling catheter, line should be flushed with saline and first 10 mL of blood should be discarded.  Using a transfer device, immediately transfer 2.7 mL of blood to tube, and mix gently 3 or 4 times. If collected through a blood collection set (butterfly), a discard tube must first be drawn to eliminate dead space from tubing. Gently invert 3 to 4 times to mix blood. Do not uncap tube.