Specimen Requirements

Use only whole blood samples—do not use plasma or serum.Specimen Type: Fresh whole blood-capillary,venous, arterial,or neonatalContainer/Tube:Green top (heparin) or lavender top (EDTA)Specimen Volume:Large drop (5 microliter)Collection Instructions: 1.Capillary specimenis obtained from fingerstick.On children under 12 months of age, collect from heelstick. Specimen must be tested immediately after collection.>2.Venous or arterial blood specimen must be tested within 30 minutes of draw to minimize effects of glycolysis. Specimen mixed with heparin or EDTA provides best results.Additional Information: Alternate site capillary testing is unacceptable in a hospital setting. Due to less vascular circulation in alternate sites, a 30-minute lag time occurs in detecting hypoglycemia from alternate site capillary specimens.