Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 24 hours of collection.

Using Universal Precautions, collect specimen as sterilely as possible as follows:

2 mL of bone marrow in a green-top (sodium heparin) tube. Invert several times to mix bone marrow. (Clotted bone marrow is not acceptable.) Other anticoagulants may be harmful to the viability of cells. Forward unprocessed bone marrow promptly at ambient temperature only. Protect specimen from temperature extremes.

Note:  1. Blood or bone marrow core may be collected as a backup for hypocellular specimens, patients with marrow fibrosis (dry tap), or patients with circulating blasts in the blood.

2. Label specimen and request form with patient’s name, identification number, date of birth, location, requesting physician, diagnosis, type of specimen, test requested, and date and time of collection.