Fasting preferred

Ref Lab staff: See ordering instructions below.

Plasma

Light blue top tubes must be filled to completion (the line indicated on the tube) to ensure a proper blood to anticoagulant ratio. Mix tube immediately by inversion at least 6 times to ensure adequate mixing of the blood with the anticoagulant. A discard tube is not required prior to the collection of the coagulation sample.

Directions for order of the draw when collecting tubes for other testing at the same time:
1.  Collect sterile and non-additive (plain red top) tubes prior to blue top (citrate) tubes.
2.  Any tube containing an alternate anticoagulant should be collected after the citrate tube.
3.  Serum gel tubes and serum tubes with clot initiators should also be collected after the citrate tubes.

1.  Centrifuge the blue top for 10 minutes.
2.  Carefully remove two-thirds of the plasma without disturbing the cells and deliver to a plastic transport tube, cap and recentrifuge for 10 minutes.
3.  Using a second pipette, remove the plasma, being careful not to disturb the platelets at the bottom.  Transfer the plasma into two plastic transport tubes (1 ml minimum in each) with screw cap.
4.  Freeze immediately (no longer than 4 hours after collection) and maintain frozen until tested.

Frozen - 14 days

Gross hemolysis, gross lipemia, and gross icterus.

85397 - Bill 85397 ADAMTS 13 Activity (EAP 30534510)

85335 - ADAMTS 13 Bethesda Units (EAP 30534512) (possible reflex)