Instructions/Special Handling

5 blue sodium citrate tubes (5 mL of citrated plasma) are required for testing (see below).

Whole blood:  The 5 blue sodium citrate tubes must be received at Boone Lab within 2 hours of collection.

Citrated plasma:  If specimen is unable to reach Boone lab within 2 hours of collection, frozen platelet-poor citrated plasma is required.  Centrifuge the 5 blue top tubes once.  Using a pipette, remove the plasma from each tube, taking care to avoid the buffy layer, and place into a plastic vial.  Centrifuge a second time and transfer 5 mL citrated plasma into five separate plastic vials with 1mL of plasma in each vial.  Freeze aliquots for transport to Boone Lab.