1. 1. The patient should be fasting for 4 or more hours without smoking.
2. 2. Walnuts, bananas, and alpha-methyldopa (Aldomet) should be avoided for a week prior to sampling.
3. 3. Other drug interference may occur, including epinephrine and epinephrine-like drugs (e.g. nosedrops, sinus and cough preparations, bronchodilators, appetite suppressants).
4. 4. The test is unreliable in patients on Levodopa or methenamine mandelate.

Plasma

Draw blood in chilled lavender-top (EDTA) tube. Invert to mix with preservatives. 

Important: The patient should be in a fully recumbent position (lying down) for at least 20 minutes before and during sample collection. 

Submit separate frozen specimens for each test requested.

Centrifuge and transfer the plasma to a labeled plastic transport tube. 

Place on-ice immediately (do not refrigerate) and freeze separated plasma within four hours of collection. 

• Frozen - 2 weeks (Freeze/thaw cycles: stable x2)
  Room Temp - Unstable
• Refrigerated - Unstable

Samples that are not drawn in the correct tube, plasma not received frozen, or inadequate patient preparation will result in a rejected specimen.

82384 - Catecholamines (EAP 30021084)

To avoid delays in turn around time when requesting multiple tests on frozen samples, submit separate frozen specimens for each test requested.