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Test Code TT Thrombin Time

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Plasma

Preferred Specimen: Light Blue Top Tube, 3.2% Sodium Citrate

Other Acceptable specimens: N/A

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

4 hours

Refrigerated

not acceptable

Frozen

30 days

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

 

NOTE: Once each blue top tube is completely filled, gently invert the sample tube at least five times to ensure complete mixing of the contents.

 

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: 

Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

NOTE: Once each blue top tube is completely filled, gently invert the sample tube at least five times to ensure complete mixing of the contents.

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: 

  • Collect specimen per standard collection procedure.
  • Once each blue top tube is completely filled, gently invert the sample tube at least five times to ensure complete mixing of the contents.
  • Centrifuge specimens at >2500 x g for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Carefully remove plasma from cells using a plastic transfer pipette avoiding buffy coat.
  • Aliquot removed plasma into 2 plastic tubes containing a minimum of 0.5 mL of specimen in each tube.
  • Plasma samples must then be frozen at -20oC.
  • Once solidly frozen, they must be shipped on dry ice. Samples that have thawed in transit will be rejected.

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Specimens that have wrong ratio of blood to anticoagulant (fill volume), clotted or grossly hemolyzed.

Reference Values

 

Test

Age

Sex

Reference Range

TT

ALL

ALL

15.8 - 18.4 seconds

Critical Values

Analyte

Unit

Low

High

Age

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

STAT Turnaround Time: N/A

 

Routine Turnaround Time: 4 hours

 

Testing Schedule: 7 days a week. 8 am to 10:30 pm

Clinical Indications

Detecting or excluding the presence of heparin or direct thrombin inhibitors.

Test Components

Thrombin Time (TT)

CPT Codes

85670 

LOINC Codes

3243-3

Methodology

Clotting

Synonyms/Keyword Search

Thrombin Time

Additional Information

3.2% sodium citrate light blue top tubes must have 9 to 1 ratio of blood to anticoagulant.

Last Review Date

07/23/2025

Volume

Preferred Volume: 1.0 mL

 

Minimum Volume: 0.5 mL