Collect specimen in blue top (citrate 3.2%) tube. Mix by inversion. Specimen should arrive at lab within 3 hours of collection; transport at room temperature. Alternatively, centrifuge, and aliquot plasma into a polypropylene plastic vial, and freeze the specimen within 4 hours of collection. Transport frozen specimen on dry ice. Collection of the blood through lines that have been previously flushed with heparin should be avoided. If the blood must be drawn through a VAD (vascular access device); the line should be flushed with 5mL of saline and the first 5mL of blood or six dead space volumes of the VAD discarded.