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HIV and Syphilis Specimen Submission Instructions

Instructions for HIV and Syphilis Specimen Submission - Serum

  1. Collect at least 5 mL of whole blood in the yellow top serum separator (SST) Autosep™ tube provided. A red top or red/black marble top SST tube is also acceptable. Blood collected in one of these tubes is the preferred specimen.
  2. Attach the Illinois Department of Public Health provided barcode label lengthwise on the specimen tube. The specimen must be labeled with the patient’s full name, date of birth, date of collection, and the Illinois Department of Public Health provided barcode.
  3. Place the matching Illinois Department of Public Health provided barcode label on the requisition form; look for the instruction “Place specimen barcode label in the box below.”
  4. Complete all information on the test requisition. The patient’s identifier on the test requisition must match the identifier on the specimen.
  5. Allow the blood to clot at room temperature. Centrifuge at 2,000-3,000 rpm for 10 minutes. Refrigerate the specimen at 2 C to 8 C immediately and ship the same day as collected. If a delay in shipping will occur, store the specimen at 2-8 C and ship in a cooler on cold packs the next business day.

Instructions for Specimen Transport

  1. Ship specimens by the fastest delivery method possible.
    • Messenger/Courier by ground transport
      • Wrap specimen in absorbent material. Place wrapped specimen into a biohazard labeled bag and seal securely. Place the test requisition on the outside of the biohazard labeled bag. Place the sealed biohazard bag and test requisition inside the shipping container. The shipping container must be rigid, such as a cooler, and labeled with the UN 3373 Biological Substance Category B marking. Close securely.
    • Commercial carrier by ground/air transport
      • Place the specimen inside a biohazard labeled 95 kPa bag and add sufficient absorbent material to absorb the entire contents. Seal following the instructions on the bag. Place the test requisition(s) in the 95 kPa bag outside pouch and seal following the instructions on the bag. Place the sealed 95 kPa bag and completed test requisition(s) inside the shipping container. Add cold packs if shipping in a cooler and close securely. If using the provided UPS shipping labels, affix the pre-printed label on the outer shipping container with the Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory address. Complete the return address section to include the name of the person shipping the package, business name and address, and a business phone number. The shipping container must include the UN 3373 Biological Substance Category B marking.
  2. Refrigerated syphilis and/or HIV serum specimens should be shipped the same day as collected. If a delay in shipping is to occur, the specimen can be stored at 2-8 C until the next business day. Refrigerated specimens must reach the lab within seven days of collection.
  3. Specimens shipped at ambient temperature must reach the laboratory within three days of collection.

Ship to:

Carbondale Laboratory
Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Laboratories
1155 S. Oakland Ave.
Carbondale, IL 62901

Phone: 618-457-5131