Cyanide in Whole Blood
Clinical Specimen Submission Guidance
Submit all specimens to 150 Richmond Street, Suite 100, Providence, RI 02903. Open Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Learn how and where to drop off your lab samples at our Laboratory Central Services webpage.
Chemical Threats Laboratory (401) 222-5606
Cyanide
Cyanide poisoning or exposure
Blood is analyzed by GC/MS.
IMMEDIATELY notify the RISHL Chemical Threats Laboratory at (401) 222-5606 for a potential agent of Chemical Terrorism.
PREAUTHORIZATION is required prior to transporting specimens.
Cyanide is present at higher amounts in the blood of cigarette smokers, if possible, obtain smoking status of individual providing sample.
Collect 5 mL whole blood in EDTA (purple top) or heparin (green top) tube as soon as possible after possible exposure.
IMMEDIATELY after collection, store specimen at 2-8°C
Specimens should not be frozen at any time during collection or transport
CLIA regulations require specimens be labeled with at least two patient identifiers. Examples of identifiers are first and last name, date of birth, chart/medical record number. The specimen container must be labeled to match the test requisition or the electronic order.
Rhode Island State Health Laboratories (RISHL) requisition form https://health.ri.gov/forms/LabRequisitionForm.pdf with appropriate Chemical Threats sticker attached.
Cyanide in Whole Blood
PREAUTHORIZATION is required prior to transporting specimens.
Refrigerated: Transport and deliver to the laboratory within 24 hours of collection at 2-8°C in a cooler able to maintain specimen temperature. A plug-in electric cooler is recommended, however, a cooler packed with excess frozen gel packs is acceptable as long as the transport temperature is maintained at 2-8°C.
Specimens must be transported and packaged in accordance with current federal shipping regulations.
The following rejection criteria will be used to ensure accurate specimen information and specimen condition for testing:
- Specimen received outside acceptable transport range
- Demographics different / Unable to read identifiers on specimen
- Two identifiers required on specimen
- Expired / Incorrect collection kit
- Insufficient quantity
- Urine cup received
- No specimen received
- Specimen leaked in transit
- Test not evaluated in adolescents <14
- Specimen too old
<100 µg/L