QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Specimen Collection, Packaging and Shipping
1. Required specimen: Whole blood collected in lithium-heparin tube
2. Minimum volume required: 5 mL
3. Specimens lacking complete information will not be tested until the missing information has been provided.
4. Specimens must be received at the lab within 12 hours if transported at ambient temperature (17-25°C). Samples shipped on ice packs must be shipped to the lab to be received within 48 hours of collection. Tubes must be received at 2-8°C and must not be frozen.
1. Lithium-heparin blood collection tubes (must not be expired)
2. Blood collection supplies
3. Category B shipping materials (insulated shipper, with ice packs) meeting UN3373 Biological Substances standards
QFT kits can be ordered from the IDOHL Containers Department through LimsNet or by emailing Containers@health.IN.gov
1. Label the tube with the patient name, date of birth, and date/time of specimen collection, including a minimum of two unique identifiers on the tube.
2. Fill a lithium-heparin blood collection tube with a minimum of 5 mL of blood and gently mix by inverting the tube several times to dissolve the heparin. Tubes should be at room temperature (17-25° C) at the time of collection.
3. After collection, blood tubes may be held at room temperature (17-25°C) for up to 3 hours prior to refrigeration.
4. Ensure the collection tube is capped securely. Leaking specimens are unacceptable for testing and will be discarded.
5. Complete the LimsNet test request for Tuberculosis (QuantiFERON-TB), ensuring that the patient information on the specimen tube matches the information entered into the submission form.
Ship to:
Indiana Department of Health Laboratories
Attn: TB Lab
550 West 16th Street
Suite B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
All patient specimens should be labeled, packaged and shipped in accordance with federal shipping regulations, using Biological Substances, Category B.
1. Place the blood collection tubes in the specimen transport bag with absorbent material. Seal the bag using the closure at the top. Up to six tubes may be sent in one shipper.
2. Place the LimsNet coversheet in the outer pouch of the specimen transport bag or outside of the insulated shipper to prevent contamination from the specimen.
3. Place the specimen transport bag and frozen ice packs inside of the insulated shipper and close the outer shipping box. The specimens should be placed between the two ice packs with padding (such as paper towels) between the tubes and the ice packs.
4. The outer shipping box should be labelled using an IDOHL 6A label and then placed inside of the UPS Laboratory Pak bag.
5. Affix the pre-addressed shipping label to the outer packaging. Specimens may be shipped via commercial service, such as UPS or FedEx or sent by STAT courier. Specimens should be shipped to arrive at IDOHL Monday through Friday. Specimens should not be shipped to be in transit during the weekend or holiday.
6. Alternatively, specimens may be delivered to IDOHL during normal business hours (8:15 am to 4:45 pm). Specimens delivered by courier or LHD personnel must meet the temperature criteria specified above.
1. Results will be reported by LimsNet and will be available in 3-5 business days.
2. Results will be reported as Positive, Negative or Indeterminate as per the manufacturer's reporting criteria.
3. Additional information on result interpretation and specimen collection can be found at: https://www.qiagen.com/us/tb-testing/what-is-quantiferon/how-does-qft-work/quantiferon-tb-test-result-interpretation
$20, or provide valid insurance information
IGRA Testing for Tuberculosis
