Laboratory Tube Collection

LABORATORY TUBE COLLECTION QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Chemistry

Marble or Gold (SST)

• Additive: Clot activator and gel for serum separation.

• Inversions: 5 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: 30 minutes.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Chemistry Profiles.

  • Electrolytes.

  • Lipid Panel.

  • Hepatic Panel.

  • Hepatitis Panel.

  • Thyroid Studies.

  • Iron Studies.

  • Cancer Markers.

  • Lithium.

  • Alcohol.

  • Vitamin B12.

  • Vitamin D.

  • Hormone Studies.

  • Cardiac Markers.

  • Lidocaine.

  • Folate.

  • Therapeutic Drugs (Except Carbamazepine).

  • Tricyclic Antidepressants.

  • Salicylate.

  • Homocysteine (ON ICE).

Red (Silicone coated glass)

• Additive: None.

• Inversions: No tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: 60 minutes.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Rheumatoid Factor.

  • Prealbumin.

  • RPR

  • Uric Acid.

  • PTH.

  • Insulin.

  • Magnesium.

  • BHCG.

  • FT3/FT4.

  • Digoxin.

  • Amylase.

  • Lipase.

  • Cortisol.

  • CRP.

  • C-Peptide.

Light Green

• Additive: Lithium heparin and gel for plasma separation (Preferred for STAT General Chemistry requests).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Chemistry Profiles.

  • Rheumatoid Factor.

  • Ionized Calcium.

  • Ammonia (ON ICE).

  • Lipid Panels.

  • Hepatic Panel.

  • Therapeutic Drugs (Except for VANC & LITHIUM).

  • BHCG Quant.

  • Cardiac Markers.

Green

• Additive: Lithium heparin (Preferred for STAT General Chemistry requests).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Note: Tests listed above for the light green tube are acceptable for this tube.

Gray

• Additive: Sodium Fluoride/Potassium Oxalate.

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Carbamazepine (Avoid SST® blood collection tube is preferred).

  • Lactic Acid - Whole Blood (NOT on ice).

  • Lactic Acid (ON ICE)

Hematology

Purple

• Additive: Spray-coated K2EDTA (plastic).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • CBC/PLT Count.

  • H&H

  • SED Rate.

  • BNP.

  • HGBA1C.

  • Cyclosporin.

  • Vancomycin.

  • HIV.

  • Sickle Cell.

  • Retic.

  • Path Review.

  • Intraop PTH.

  • Direct Coombs.

  • RBC Folate.

  • Prograf.

  • CD3/CD4.

Blood Bank

Pink

• Additive: Spray-coated K2EDTA (plastic).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required to prevent clotting.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Antibody Screen.

  • Crossmatch.
    *Note: RED BLOOD BANK ARMBAND MUST BE COMPLETED AND ATTACHED TO THE PINK TOP!! GLASS RED TOP IS ALSO REQUIRED WHEN A TYPE & SCREEN/CROSSMATCH IS REQUESTED

  • Type & Rh.

  • Type & Screen.

Coagulation

Blue

• Additive: Buffered sodium citrate

  • 0.105 M (=3.2%) glass.

  • 0.109 M (3.2%) plastic.

• Inversions: 3-4 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • PT/INR.

  • PTT.

  • Fibrinogen.

  • D-dimer.

  • Rhogam Workup.

  • Special Coag & Factor Assays (CALL LAB PRIOR TO COLLECTION).
    *PFA-2 GLASS 4.5ML TUBES.DO NOT SEND VIA TUBE SYSTEM

Royal Blue

Clear/Blue

• Additive: K2EDTA (plastic).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: No clotting time required.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Lead.

  • Mercury.

  • Aluminum-Plasma.

Royal Blue

• Additive: Clot Activator (plastic serum).

• Inversions: 8 tube inversions required.

• Clotting Time: 30 minutes.

• Tests Commonly Associated:

  • Zinc.

Specimen Labeling Requirements

• Patient must be identified utilizing two patient identifiers (i.e. first and last name & date of birth).

• All specimens must be labeled in the presence of the patient.

• The following components must be completed, as applicable:

  • Name: DOE, JANE

  • Date of Birth: 01/21/1949

  • Date of Collection: 09/28/2012

  • Time: 14:52

  • Collected By: PEGGY PHLEBOTOMIST

  • Source (If Applicable): BLOOD, URINE, CSF, Etc.

Order of Draw

1. Sterile (bottles)

2. Citrate (light blue top tube)

3. Serum (red top tube)

4. Heparin (green)

5. EDTA (purple)

6. Oxalate (gray)