| Patient Preparations: |
No specific patient preparation is required. |
| Specimen Requirements: |
2 mL of whole blood collected in evacuated tubes with EDTA (purple top) or heparin anticoagulant (green top). Label with patient name and date of birth.
Evacuated blood tubes with EDTA preferred (no kit available) |
| Specimen Handling & Transport: |
No special transport or handling is necessary. The specimens are stable at room temperature for up to two weeks. For shipments subject to delay or during seasonally high temperatures, ship specimens with a cool pack. USPS ground ship is acceptable. |
| Collection Kit/Container: |
|
| Collection Instructions: |
Standard venipuncture procedure is appropriate. Refer to Collection of Diagnostic Venous Blood Specimens 7th ed. CLSI standard GP41. |
| Unacceptable Conditions: |
Anticoagulated whole blood is required; serum and plasma are unsuitable samples. Specimens preserved with fluoride oxalate (grey top tubes) are not acceptable. |
| Requisition Form: |
Clinical Metals Submission Form
|
| Required Information: |
Laboratory regulations require the following minimum information to be provided on the Clinical Metals Submission Form for a specimen to be accepted for testing: Patient name or unique identifier; date of collection, patient date of birth and sex, specimen type/site of collection (venous), test request(s), clinician name and NPI, and address for reporting results. Please be certain that name/identifier on the form matches that on the specimen label. |