Specimen Type/Requirements

Whole blood EDTA submitted in a plastic screw-cap vial, Frozen, write Hct value on vial, Protect from light. 

Alternative Specimen:  Lavender top (EDTA) tube - Whole Blood, Protect from light, Room Temp

EDTA Whole Blood tube sent at room temperature will have the folate and hematocrit testing performed. Wrap tube in aluminum foil to protect from light. Both the Hct and Folate will be performed on this tube. 

If sample is sent frozen, a default hematocrit will be used for calculation of the RBC folate. Do not freeze as this will affect the Hct. 

Dietary supplements containing biotin may interfere in assays and may skew analyte results to be either falsely high or falsely low. For patients receiving the recommended daily doses of biotin, draw samples at least 8 hours following the last biotin supplementation. For patients on mega-doses of biotin supplements, draw samples at least 72 hours following the last biotin supplementation.