blood tube colors

Light blue additive

sodium citrate

what lab test are light blue tubes for

coagulation pt,ptt dimer and ptta

how does citrate keep blood from clotting

citrate binds to calcium

lavendar tube additive

EDTA

what does EDTA stand for

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

how does EDTA stop clots from forming

Bind to the calcium to stop clotting

what tests require EDTA tubes

CBC, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

in the order of draw when are EDTA collected

after heparin tubes

for capillary draw when are EDTA collected

first

pink EDTA tubes are used by who

blood banks

when are pink EDTA tubes collected

after lavender EDTA

Green topped tubes contain

heparin

how does heparin stop blood from clotting

binds to thrombin one of the clotting enzymes

tests that require heparin tubes

ammonia, cardiac enzymes stat chems

in the order of draw when are heparin tubes collected

after SST and PST but before EDTA tubes.

red topped plastic tubes contain

nothing

red topped glass tubes contain

clot activator

what lab tests require no additive

some chems for drug levels

in the order of draw when are red topped tubes collected

after citrate tubes (light blue) and before serum separator tubes.

PST tubes are what color

light green splashguard or green/gray speckled color tubes that contain lithium heparin and a gel separator for plasma separation.

orange topped tubes clotting time

10 - 15 mins

gray topped tubes contain what additive

sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate.

what test are gray topped tubes for

used for glucose, GTT, BAC, and lactic acid testing.

yellow topped tubes contain what additive

sodium polyanethol sulfonate (SPS) or acid citrate dextrose (ACD).

SPS used for

cultures

ACD used for

paternity

when are PST tubes collected

after SST tubes

what additive are in SST tubes

clot activator and gel separator

purpose os sodium fluoride

antiglycolytic prevents glucose from being metabolized

purpose of potassium oxalate

anticoagulant binding calcium.

when are gray topped tubes collected

last

lead free tubes are what color

tan

what additive are in tan tubes

EDTA

trace element free tubes are what color

royal blue

what additives are in royal blue tubes

none additive, heparin, or EDTA

what tests are royal blue tubes used for

toxicology, heavy metals

orange tubes have what additive

thrombin