Cold Agglutinins

Testing Laboratory

Department

Refer to Testing Lab link

Delphic Registration Code (Alpha Code)

ANT3

Test Code (Numeric Code)

7765

Laboratory Handling

Registration

Photocopy the request form and send with the computer generated form to NZBS

Sample Stability

7 days

Synonyms

Cold Agglutinins
Thermal amplitude cold antibody

Turnaround Time

2 days

Specimen Type

• Plasma
• Serum

Specimen Type

• Plasma
• Serum

Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• Plain (Red Top)

Preferred

• Plain (Red Top)

Acceptable

• EDTA (Lavender Cap)

Paediatric Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• Plain (Red Top)

Acceptable

• EDTA (Lavender Cap)

Minimum Sample Volume (ml)

4

Collection instructions:
1. Get a heat pad from phleb outpatient room
2. Activate the heat pad. Promptly placing it upright and long ways along with side wall of the flask
3. Place the inner lid and outer lid on the flask and seal tightly
4. Record the heat pad activation time on request form
5. Pre-heat the sample tubes before collection
6. Send samples in flask to the lab via Lamson or hand delivery within 30 mins after collection

Laboratory instruction:
1. Check patient’s details on samples against the request form AND the heat pad activation time
Recollect sample when
– unlabelled/mismatch sample
- no heat pad activation time
- sample arrived in the lab 90mins AFTER heat pad activation time
2. Take out all tubes and place them in Biochemistry heat block for separation
3. Give a copy of request form to Biochemistry
4. Leave the gel pack ins ide the flask and return the flask to phlebotomy via Lamson (310 NSH/ 700 WTH)

Label one pilot tube with patient demographics barcode.
Place in 37’C heating block immediately to separate overnight by gravity only.
Pipette off the serum (top layer) the following day. DO NOT CENTRIFUGE the sample.
Send both clot tube & serum aliquot to NZBS.

Photocopy the request form and send with the computer generated form to NZBS.

For any queries, please phone 1-(09) 523 5730 NZBS Red Cell Serology reference laboratory.

Contact Information