Chemistry Specimen Processing
Appearance
Separate serum/plasma from blood cells within 2 hours
- For serum, need to wait for specimen to clot first (20-30 min)
Store samples at 4C when not being run
For longer-term storage, store at minimum -20C
Analyte | Specimen Type | Collection Media | Collection Notes | Reference Interval |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sodium | Lithium heparin | 135 - 145 mmol/L | ||
Potassium | Lithium heparin | 3.5-5.0 mmol/L | ||
Glucose | Fasting | 4.1 - 5.6 mmol/L | ||
Random | ||||
Creatinine | Urine, 24 hour | |||
Blood serum | Lithium heparin | |||
Urea | Blood serum or plasma | Lithium heparin | 2.1 - 7.1 mmol/L | |
Urine, random | Use thymol preservative and refrigerate | |||
Urine, 24 hour | Use thymol preservative and refrigerate | 430 - 710 mmol/day | ||
Uric Acid | Blood serum or plasma | Lithium heparin | ||
Urine, 24 hour | ||||
Urinalysis | Urine, first morning midstream clean-catch preferred | Fresh samples <2h old | ||
Special Samples:
- Keep on ice
- Blood gases
- Ammonia
- Protect from light
- Bilirubin
- Vitamin B12