<ul><li>Collect specimen in a 3.2% sodium citrate blue top Vacutainer® tube. Immediately mix by inversion. Specimen should arrive at lab within 3 hours of collection. Transport at room temperature.
</li><li>Alternatively, centrifuge and aliquot plasma into a plastic vial and freeze within 4 hours of collection.
</li><li>Transport on dry ice if frozen aliquot is submitted.
</li><li>Avoid collection of the blood through lines that have been previously flushed with heparin.
</li><liIf the blood must be drawn through a VAD (vascular access device), the line should be flushed with 5 mL of saline and the first 5 mL of blood or six dead space volumes of the VAD discarded.
</li></ul>