Chapter 8: Blood Collection Equipment - Test Tubes, Additives, and Tests

Vocabulary flashcards covering blood collection tubes, additives, mechanisms, inversion protocols, and associated clinical diagnostic tests.

Yellow Top Tube (Sterile)

A sterile blood collection tube containing SPS used primarily for blood culture specimens to detect microorganisms, requiring 8 inversions.

Sodium Polyanethole Sulfonate (SPS)

An anticoagulant in sterile yellow top tubes that aids in the recovery of microorganisms by inhibiting the actions of phagocytes and certain antibiotics.

Light-Blue Top Tube

A blood collection tube containing sodium citrate used for coagulation studies, which must be filled to the fill line and inverted 3-4 times.

Sodium Citrate

An anticoagulant in light-blue top tubes that prevents coagulation by binding to calcium, preserves clotting factors, and maintains a ratio of 9 parts blood to 1 part sodium citrate.

Prothrombin Time (PT)

A coagulation test performed using light-blue top tubes that evaluates the extrinsic system of the coagulation cascade and monitors Coumadin therapy.

Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT, PTT)

A coagulation test performed using light-blue top tubes that evaluates the intrinsic system of the coagulation cascade and monitors Heparin therapy.

Red/Gray (Speckled) Top Tube

Also called a tiger-top tube or Serum Separator Tube (SST), it contains clot activators and a polymer barrier, requires 5-8 inversions, and yields serum after setting 30 minutes prior to centrifuge.

Polymer Barrier (SST)

A gel located in the bottom of a tiger-top tube that moves upward during centrifugation to separate serum from fibrin and blood cells.

Red Top Tube

Also known as a plain vacuum tube or serum tube, it contains no preservative or anticoagulant, requires no inversions, and clots naturally in 30 minutes.

Green Top Tube

A collection tube containing heparin combined with sodium, lithium, or ammonium ion, requiring 8 inversions and yielding whole blood or plasma for chemistry tests.

Heparin

An anticoagulant in green top tubes that works by inhibiting thrombin in the coagulation cascade; it cannot be used for hematology because it causes a blue background interference with Wright's stain.

Yellow Ring (Green Top Tube)

An internal ring feature inside the top of certain green tubes indicating a barrier gel that creates a stable barrier between plasma and cells when centrifuged.