Dried Blood Spot Testing: How to Collect Your Sample at Home

A dried blood spot (DBS) sample is collected from a fingertip onto a filter-paper card. The collection steps are simple, but timing and drying matter. This article summarises the Dried Blood Spot Collection Instructions. Always check the test code on your requisition and follow the full directions supplied with your kit.

Check timing and preparation first

Collection timing depends on the panel. The guide says to collect within one hour of waking. For a cardiometabolic panel that includes tests such as insulin or triglycerides, it recommends an overnight fast of 10–12 hours, with water only. If you are menstruating and testing fertility-related FSH, the guide specifies cycle day 3; timing for Estradiol (E2), progesterone or testosterone can depend on cycle length. Check the relevant section of the PDF rather than applying one schedule to every test.

Three days before collection, the guide advises avoiding anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle facial creams and biotin (vitamin B7) products such as some hair and nail formulas. If any product or supplement is prescribed or medically advised, check with your healthcare professional before changing its use. If you use hormone therapy, record it on your requisition and follow the guide’s hormone-user instructions. Do not stop prescribed hormones without advice from your prescriber.

Collect the blood spot

1. Before washing your hands, write your name, collection date and time on the blood spot card.
2. Wash your hands with soap and water, dry them with a clean towel and warm them to help blood flow. Open the card cover without touching the filter paper, then secure the card to a flat surface below heart level.
3. Clean the side of a middle or ring finger on your non-dominant hand with the alcohol pad and let it air-dry. Use the supplied lancet as directed, then wipe away the first blood drop with gauze.
4. Keep your hand below your waist and gently milk the finger. Let one drop fall into the centre of each circle, without overlapping drops. Continue until the circles are filled if possible, but the guide says several good-sized spots are better than poor-quality spots in every circle.

Each spot should soak through the card so blood is visible on the back, form a rounded spot and fill as much of the circle as possible. Apply a bandage when you finish.

Dry, store and return the card

Leave the card open to dry for at least four hours. Once dry, close the cover and store the card in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The guide says to freeze samples that will not be shipped within 24 hours. Complete the paperwork, pack the sample and documents in the kit box, then return it using the packaging and carrier specified for your kit.

Find a dried blood spot test

Browse the Dried Blood Spot Tests collection, or see these sample-based kits: Female Comprehensive Hormone Profile I and Male Comprehensive Hormone Profile I. Check each product and kit instructions for its exact panel and collection requirements.

This article covers specimen collection only and is not medical advice or an interpretation of test results. Follow your kit’s instructions and contact the laboratory or a qualified healthcare professional if you are unsure about timing, medicines or collection.