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304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Red Tube contains no additive, used for serum chemistry testing, serology, and blood bank testing.
PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES
STOPPER COLOR | CONTENTS | VOL. |
---|---|---|
Red | No additive | 7.0 mL |
Light Blue | 3.2% Sodium Citrate | 4.5 mL |
Gold Top (Serum Separator, SST) | Contains separating gel and clot activator | 6.0 mL |
Light Blue – Yellow Label on Tube | Thrombin | 2.0 mL |
No anticoagulant is contained in the tube. Red Top Tube (Plain Non-Barrier): This tube is used for certain Blood Bank testing which requires a patient’s serum, primarily RPR testing. … The tube contains buffered sodium citrate as an anticoagulant. It is critical to test accuracy that the tube be filled completely.
After centrifugation, the inert acrylic gel at the bottom of the tube normally occupies the middle position between the cells (clot) and the serum, as its density is intermediate between theirs. The gel then serves as a barrier to diffusion, preventing contamination of the serum with cellular components.
Gray Blood Collection Tubes
Tube cap color | Additive | Common laboratory tests |
---|---|---|
Lavender or pink | Potassium EDTA | Hematology and blood bank |
Gray | Sodium fluoride, and sodium or potassium oxalate | Glucose (especially when testing will be delayed), blood alcohol, lactic acid |
Lithium heparin is therefore the most recommended form of heparinbecause of its low interference level with tests of other ions. Lithium heparin is essentially free of extraneous ions. It should not be used for testing lithium in blood.
Grey-top tube (potassium oxalate/sodium fluoride) This tube contains potassium oxalate as an anticoagulant and sodium fluoride as a preservative used to preserve glucose in whole blood and for some special chemistry tests.
Last draw – additive tubes in this order:
Each color relates to unique additives that are in the tube. Red: Contain NO anticoagulants, used for serum testing. … Gold: Contains a clot activator and special gel to separate serum from the cells. Purple: Contains a clot blocker and are used for complete blood count(CBC). Green & Light Blue: Used for plasma testing.
Red Top: Does not contain an anticoagulant. This tube is used for collecting serum or clotted whole blood specimens. This tube should be used for all drug levels.
Blood collection tubes containing heparin, which stabilizes the red blood cell membranes, are used for specialized hematology studies, such as red cell fragility tests and several specialized chemistry tests. Blood collection tubes containing sodium citrate are used for coagulation studies.
Handling the Sample: DO allow red top tubes to clot in an upright position at room temperature for 60 minutes, gold top for 30 minutes. Centrifuge for the preprogrammed time or 10 minutes for red or gold top tubes, 10 minutes for green, and 15 minutes for BD Blue top tubes.
The silica particles that coat the walls of the BD Vacutainer SST tube are the clot activator. Initial activation occurs when blood enters the tube and contacts the particles on the tube wall. To continue the activation process, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the blood and particles by inverting the tube five times.
Table of Contents
Sodium Citrate Sodium Citrate tubes: Blue stopper: The additive found in citrate tubes is Aqueous Trisodium Citrate dehydrate or Trisodium Citrate Pent hydrate. This additive prevents coagulation by binding calcium and preserves the unstable coagulation factors.
Red top tubes are often referred to as plain or clot tubes because they contain NO anticoagulants or additives. Blood drawn in red tubes clot by the normal coagulation process in about 60 mins.
Additives, Departments, BD tube colors, Tests, Invertions
Question | Answer |
---|---|
WHAT IS THE DEPT/COLOR OF SPECIAL ANTICOAGULANT: SPS (Sodium Polyanethol Sulfonate)? | DEPT: Microbiology COLOR: Yellow |
PHLEBOTOMY: TUBES, TEST AND ORDER OF DRAW
Question | Answer |
---|---|
tube containing a gel separator and silica to activate clotting. | SERUM SEPARATOR TUBE (SST) |
an electrolyte STAT test is usually collected in a: | LITHIUM HEPARIN TUBE |
color top that contains SPS | GRAY |
color top that contains THIXOTROPIC GEL | GOLD OR MOTTLED RED AND GREY |
VACUETTE LH lithium heparin tubes are coated with lithium heparin on the inside. The anticoagulant heparin activates antithrombin, which blocks the clotting cascade and thus produces a whole blood/plasma sample. Selected tubes are also available with a transparent label.
Heparin VACUETTE heparin tubes are coated on the inside wall with spray-dried lithium, ammonium or sodium heparin and are used to determine analytes in clinical chemistry. The additive acts as an anticoagulant, and blocks the clotting cascade.
EDTA and citrate remove calcium, which most coagulation factors need. Heparin activates antithrombin thereby inhibiting coagulation by inhibiting thrombin. … Heparin is used for clinical chemistry tests such as cholesterol, CRP, hormones etc. It interferes with PCR, so if you want to do that use EDTA.
Fluoride oxalate has been suggested by many authors to help the preservation of glucose levels. Thus Fluoride oxalate has been used over the years to minimize the glycolytic effect of red blood cells (RBC[)[1,13,14]. The fluoride usually exists as Sodium Fluoride and Potassium Oxalate(NaF/KOX).
HEMOGLOBIN A1C | |
---|---|
ORDERING INFORMATION: | Geisinger Epic Procedure Code: LAB2415 Geisinger Epic ID: 32306 |
Specimen type: | Whole blood |
Preferred collection container: | 4 mL lavender-top (K2 EDTA) tube3 mL lavender-top (K2 EDTA) tube |
Specimen required: | 2.5 mL; minimum 1 mL. |
These VACUETTE tubes contain sodium fluoride as a stabilizer and the additive potassium oxalate as an anticoagulant.
Most blood collection tubes contain an additive that either accelerates clotting of the blood (clot activator) or prevents the blood from clotting (anticoagulant).
ACD. Acid Citrate Dextrose – Additive used for Immunohematology tests ie. DNA and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Phenotyping used in praternity evaluations and to determine transplant compatibility. Prevents coagulation by binding calcium, and dextrose acts as a RBC nutrient and preservative by maintaining RBC viability …
The order of draw is an order of tubes phlebotomist should follow to prevent testing complications and cross-contamination of additives. The order of draw is Yellow, Light Blue, Red, Light Green, Dark Green, Lavender, and Gray. Way to remember this is by the saying Your brother Robert gives lovely gifts.
Vacutainer tubes are covered with a Color-coded plastic cap that indicates which additives the tube contains. These color indicators help the phlebotomist to easily select the tubes in which the blood should be drawn as per the tests that have to be performed.
Types of tubes
Tube cap color or type | Additive |
---|---|
Tan | EDTA (chelator / anticoagulant) |
Gray | Sodium fluoride (glycolysis inhibitor) Potassium oxalate (anticoagulant) |
Yellow | Acid-citrate-dextrose A (anticoagulant) |
Pearl (white) | Separating gel and (K2)EDTA |
Special color-coded stoppers on collection tubes indicate which additives are present. The type of additive dictates which types of laboratory tests may be performed on each blood specimen.