A minimum of 2 mL of blood should be collected in preservative-free sodium heparin tube (not a lithium heparin tube). Other anticoagulants retard or inhibit subsequent cell division.
Fill the tube (i.e., don't collect 2 mL of blood in a 12 mL tube).
Blood specimens can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 days if necessary. Blood collected Friday night can be sent to the Cytogenetics Laboratory on Monday morning. See the following pages "CYTOGENETICS (CHROMOSOME) EVALUATION--SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND HANDLING" for details.
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