Tubes, Tests, and specialties

Measures Length of time it takes the blood to clot - light blue

PTT/INR

Measures Length of time it takes the blood to clot - light blue

APTT

Measures Length of time it takes the blood to clot but with more sensitive and standardized results - light blue

D-dimer

Rules out blood clots like deep-vein thrombosis - light blue

Light blue

• Sodium citrate

• Plasma

• Goes to coagulation

• Invert 3-4 times

Red tube

• None in glass, clot-activator in a plastic (chem only)

• Serum

• Chemistry, blood bank

• Invert 5 times (unless discard)

Gold/SST (serum seperator tubes)

• Silica and thixotropic gel

• Serum

• Chemistry

Invert 5

Therapeutic drug monitoring

red tube - monitors medicine levels

Metabolic panel

Overall metabolism (including kidney, liver, and electrolytes) - gold tube

Lipid panel

Measuring cholesterol and triglyceride - gold tube

Hepatic panel

Evaluates liver health by measuring enzymes, proteins, bilirubin - gold

Renal function panel

gold tube - Assesses kidney health by measuring substances like BUN, creatinine, electrolytes

Chemistry serum 

gold tube - determinations for: glucose, electrolytes, enzymes

Orange

• Throbin-based clot activator

• Serum

• chem

• invert 5-6

Light-green

• Lithium heparin, or Lithium heparin with thixotropic gel

• Plasma

• chemistry

Invert 8 times

STAT chemistry tests 

light green

HcG

pregnancy hormone - light green

Standard electrolyte panel

Testing for sodium, potassium, chloride, co2 - light green

Dark-green

• Sodium heparin

• Plasma

• Chemistry

Invert 8

Ammonia -

kept on ice or chilled immediately (in specimen bag then ice slurry to prevent ammonia levels from rising)

• Used to evaluate liver function

• Elevated is associated with liver disease and can be toxic to the nervous system

Dark green tube

Chromosome studies (cytogenetic testing)

• Examine chromosomes for changes in number, structure, arrangement to look for genetic disorders (eg. downsyndrome)

Dark green tube

Lavender

- most common

• K2EDTA

• Whole blood or plasma

• hematology

Invert 8

CBC

To evaluate overall health by measuring everything in the blood - lavender

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

Detects inflammation in the body - lavender

H+H

Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels - lavender

HBA1C

Diagnose and monitor diabete - lavender

Pink

• K2EDTA

• Whole blood

• Bloodbank/immunohematology

Invert 8

Pink tests:

Blood typing 

• ABO and Rh status, antibody screening (commonly performed in early pregancy

Crossmatching

• Determines blood compatibility between donors and recipients to ensure a safe transfusion

Can also provide information about a woman's current or future risk for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn

gray

• Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate

• Plasma

• Chemistry

Invert 8 times

Gray tests:

Glucose

• Can be Performed in gray on its own or included in metabolic panel using SST 

• Values may vary depending on age and diabetic status 

• Normal level range: 70-100 mg/dL (non-diabetic)

Lactic acid

• Elevated levels may be seen in patients with liver or lung disease or experience breathing difficulties 

• Samples should be placed on ice promptly 

Blood alcohol content (BAC)/Ethanol (ETOH)

• Skin should be cleaned using chlorhexidine or other non-alcohol cleansers 

• Can be performed using gray, SST or Green Top tube depending on protocol 

Royal-blue redstripe

• No additive

• Serum

• Chemistry

Invert none

Royal-blue redstripe tests

Selenium

• Immune/thyriod/cognitive

Copper

• immune/energy/RBC production

Royal-blue lavender

• K2EDTA

• Plasma

• Chemistry

Invert 8

Royal-blue lavender tests

Zinc

• immune/growth/development/metabolism/wound healing

• Centrifuged within 2 hours

Arsenic

• Screening for toxin

Led

• Screening for led poisoning

Yellow

replaces BC

• Sodium polyenethol sulfonate (SPS)

• Whole blood

• Microbiology

OR

• Acid citrate Dextrose (ACD)

• Whole blood or plasma

• Bloodbank

Invert 8

Fasting

• Glucose tests and lipid panels (gold or gray)

Pre-warmed tubes (must reach body temp)

• Cold agglutinin tests

• Cryoglobulin 

Without stasis (no tourniquet)

• actic acid tests (gray)

Also do not clench fist (nothing to change the blood flow)

Most blood samples are kept what?

refrigerated:

• 2 to 8 degrees celsius

Light sensitive

Bilirubin, vitamin B6 vitamin, K, and vitamin B12, serum folate

Chilled specimens

Ammonia, lactic acid, blood gas

Frozen specimens 

ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone test), calcitonin test, factor 9 test, gastrin test, and hepatitis C.