Specimen Requirements

This test requires multiple specimen tubes.

Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered.

Tube 1:

• Collect 1 ml whole blood in a Lavender BD Hemogard™ K₂EDTA Tube.
• Protect tubes from light during collection, storage, and shipment.
• Mix specimen well, transfer into an amber transport tube, freeze, and transport frozen (critical).

Tube 2:

• Collect 2.5 mL whole blood in a Lavender BD Hemogard™ K₂EDTA Tube.
• Fill tube to at least half of fill volume, and send refrigerated.
• Note: Minimum volume is 1 mL split between 2 aliquots of 0.5 mL each.

Stability

Folate RBC:

Ambient: 2 hours

Refrigerated: 4 hours

Frozen: 2 months

Hematocrit:

Ambient: 24 hours

Refrigerated: 48 hours

Frozen: Unacceptable

Reference Range

Folate RBC:

≥ 366 ng/mL

Hematocrit:

0 – 14 Days: 39.6 – 57.2%

15 – 30 Days: 30.5 – 45.0%

31 – 60 Days: 26.8 – 37.5%

61 – 179 Days: 28.6 – 37.2%

6 – 23 Months: 30.8 – 37.9%

2 – 5 Years: 31.0 – 37.8%

6 – 11 Years: 32.2 – 39.8%

12 – 14 Years: 33.4 – 46.0%

15 – 99 Years (Male): 39.0 – 51.0%

15 – 99 Years (Female): 36.0 – 46.0%

Special Information

• Hematocrit must be performed and submitted with the order.
• If the patient has not received a transfusion or experienced excessive bleeding between the RBC folate draw and the hematocrit draw, any hematocrit drawn within 24 hours of the RBC folate draw is acceptable.
• Folate RBC tube only: it is critical to submit the specimen as frozen; the specimen must be protected from light during collection, storage, and shipment.
• Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple tests are ordered.
• Specimens that are clotted or non-frozen will be rejected.
• This test is New York DOH approved.