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Information for Renal Patient Care Providers

In order for a renal patient to be called for transplant, the current serum must be less than 30 days old.

You and your facility play a vital role in ensuring that the serum is received in time to be processed by the Transplant Center’s HLA/Immunogenetics Laboratory and available for the patient to be considered for transplant.

You can help us help your patients by following these simple instructions:

1. Make sure that you only draw blood from patients that are listed as “Active” on the transplant list.
2. Make sure that you draw the blood prior to dialysis.
3. Make sure that you completely fill a 10 ml plain red-top tube (no serum separators).
4. Make sure that the tube is labeled with the following mandated information:
   • Patient’s name
   • Medical record number (if available)
   • Unique identifier (e.g. Date of Birth)
   • Date drawn
   • Phlebotomist’s initials
5. Make sure that drawn blood is kept at room temperature and not processed (do not separate serum from red cell clot).
6. Make sure that blood is sent within 48 hours of being drawn. We must receive the sample in our laboratory within 7 calendar days of collection.
7. Make sure that you package blood appropriately with the absorbent material within the Styrofoam box and the plastic bag sealed as according to government and IATA regulations for the shipping of clinical specimens. We have included additional references for proper packaging on this Web site. Keep in mind that if these regulations are not meet, it is the shipper (your organization) that may incur penalties for improper packaging. If you have any questions whatsoever about this procedure, please contact us as soon as possible and we will be happy to answer any questions you have as well as send you the proper supplies needed at no charge to your center.
8. Make sure that the mandated requisition is completely filled out and placed inside the outer packaging, but outside of the plastic bag or inner packaging, preferably in its own separate plastic bag.
9. If you have any questions regarding a patient’s listing status, any requested procedure, etc., please contact us.
10. The HLA lab has contracted a logistics company called Path-Tecto supply dialysis centers and patients with clot tubes, tube mailers, shipping materials and preprinted Fed Ex air bills.  These supplies can be easily obtained by contacting Path-Tec at 1-716-569-6368 and setting up an online account where supplies can be ordered when needed.  

No U.S. Mail, thank you.  Use FedEx Express Saver Only.

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