Specimen Required

Any client who has never collected a specimen for this test should call 800-533-1710 or 507-266-5700 and ask for the Clinical Specialty Laboratory for more detailed instructions.

Patient Preparation:

1. Fasting (for a minimum of 12 hours)

2. Patient should avoid taking vitamin C supplements for 24 hours prior to collection.

Specimen Type: Acidified plasma

Collection Container/Tube: Green top (sodium heparin)

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 5 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Place specimen on wet ice immediately.

2. Centrifuge for 10 minutes at 3500 rpm within 1 hour of collection. Use of a 4° C refrigerated centrifuge is optimal but not required.

3. Aliquot plasma into a plastic vial.

4. Adjust the pH of the plasma specimen to a pH of 2.3-2.7 with approximately 10 mcL concentrated (12M) hydrochloric acid (or 20 mcL of 6M HCl) per 1 mL plasma.

Additional Information: Nonacidified specimens can be accepted if the heparinized plasma is properly frozen. A disclaimer will be added in nonacidified plasma, "Sample was received nonacidified and frozen. In nonacidified samples oxalate values may increase spontaneously." Although there can be a small absolute increase of plasma oxalate in nonacidified specimens, this will not change the clinical interpretation.