Serology Specimen Collection Guide

TEST	SPECIMEN	COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS	TRANSPORT
HCV Quantitative RNA	Serum	Fresh: Aseptically collect 8-10 ml of whole blood in into a tiger top Serum Separator Tubes (SST). Do not freeze whole blood. Refrigerated/Frozen: If transportation to the lab cannot be accomplished within 5 days, centrifuge the specimen at 800-1,600 x g for 20 minutes and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Transfer serum to a sterile polypropylene tube and freeze at -20°C for longer periods of time. Ship the serum on cool packs or frozen on dry ice	Hold at 2-8°C prior to transportation to the laboratory. Transport to the laboratory within 5 days of collection.
Hepatitis, HIV, Syphilis, Toxoplasma, and Measles Serology	Serum	Aseptically collect 8-10 ml of whole blood in one of the following Serum Separator Tubes (SST); tiger top, gold top, or a red top may be used instead of the SST. If a delay of more than 48 hours is anticipated prior to delivery to the lab, centrifugation is recommended (allow blood to sit at least 30 minutes at 15-30°C before centrifugation or refrigeration). Plastic tubes only. Do not freeze whole blood.	General guide for multiple test requests. Hold at room temperature (15-30°C) up to 1 day. Hold at 2-8°C for up to 5 days. Transport to the laboratory at 2-8°C within 5 days of collection. See above for specific transport requirements.
HIV 1 Viral Load Aptima	Plasma	Fresh: Aseptically collect 1 lavender top tube of whole blood with EDTA anticoagulant or one Plasma Preparation Tube (PPT). Mix well by gently inverting the tube 5-6 times. Plastic tubes only. Do not freeze whole blood. Refrigerated/Frozen: If transportation to the lab cannot be accomplished within 24 hours, centrifuge the specimen at 800-1,600 x g for 20 minutes and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Transfer plasma to a sterile polypropylene tube and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze at -20°C for longer periods of time. Ship the plasma on cool packs or frozen on dry ice.	Hold at 2-8°C prior to transportation to the laboratory. Transport to the laboratory within 24 hours of collection. Plasma may be frozen at -20°C and shipped to the lab on dry ice.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold	Whole Blood	Collect 1 mL of blood by venipuncture directly into each of the four (4) unique QuantiFERON ®-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) blood collection tubes. Tubes must be at room temperature prior to collection. Under or overfilling of the tubes may lead to erroneous results. Shake the tubes ten times just firmly enough to ensure the entire surface of the tube is coated with blood, to solubilize antigens on the tube walls. OCPHL can only accept specimens collected Monday – Thursday.	Hold at room temperature (15-30°C) prior to transportation to the laboratory. Transport to the laboratory within 16 hours of collection. DO NOT REFRIGERATE IF tubes cannot be transported to the laboratory within 16 hours of collection: Incubate tubes at 37 +/- 1°C for 16-24 hours. After incubation, hold tubes at 4°C to 27°C and transport to the laboratory within 3 days.