Insulin, Three Specimens

Please refer to the Endocrine Appendix of the LabCorp Directory of Services for instructions on multiple specimen collection.

This panel is a series panel requiring multiple tubes to be drawn at multiple time points. This panel is used to collect an initial tube (baseline) and then treat the patient with a drug (pill or shot) or other treatment (such as glucola) and then collect more tubes after the dose. If you are not giving the patient a pill or shot or other treatment after the first sample draw, do not use this panel. This series should not be collected until the clinician is contacted to determine why a series is ordered.

Submit 2 mL serum for fasting and each time interval (½ hour, 1 hour, 1½ hours, 2 hours, etc.). Separate serum from cells within 45 minutes of venipuncture. Label each tube with patient name and time interval. Submit simultaneously from the same patient on one test request form.

This test may exhibit interference when sample is collected from a person who is consuming a supplement with a high dose of biotin (also termed as vitamin B7 or B8, vitamin H, or coenzyme R). It is recommended to ask all patients who may be indicated for this test about biotin supplementation. Patients should be cautioned to stop biotin consumption at least 72 hours prior to the collection of a sample.