Phlebotomy Tubes Flashcards
What is the acronym/saying to remember order of draw? What does the acronym stand for?
Stop light red stay put
Green light go
Sterile—light blue—red—SST(gold)—PST(light green)—dark green—lavender and pink—grey
What does PST stand for and what color is the tube usually
Plasma separator tube, light green top
What does SST stand for, and what color is the tube usually?
Serum separator tube, gold top
Should you always go by color when drawing an SST or a PST?
No, they do not always have a specific color.
For a sterile blood culture, which tube goes first and why? Aerobic and Anaerobic
Aerobic is always first as air in needle will not affect the draw, but the air would affect the anaerobic tube if drawn first. Always aerobic and then anaerobic
What is the grey top tube used for?
Glucose testing when levels are so abnormal
What are the dark green and green with gel tubes used for?
BMP (basic metabolic panel), CMP (complete/comprehensive metabolic panel), electrolytes
What are the lavender tubes used for?
Counting how many blood cells there are (CBC-complete blood count) or CBC with differential that looks for the 5 different types of white blood cells
What is the light blue tube used for?
How blood is clotting; tests may include protime (PTINR) that looks for anti-coagulating meds like warfarin, and PTT (partial thromboplastin time) that looks for anti-coagulating meds like heparin
What is the pink tube used for?
Almost exactly the same as the lavender (doesn’t matter which order between pink and lavender), it just goes to a different part of the lab for testing. Blood type and screen
When drawing a light blue tube, what must you do first?
Draw 1-2 ml of blood into a discard tube before filling sample tube
What order of priority should draw orders be placed?
1.) STAT
2.) NOW/ASAP
3.) Timed
4.) Routine
When is a timed draw taken?
At peak level of medication.
What type of tests are order for sterile draws?
Blood cultures
What tests require a light blue top?
PT/INR
PTT
D-dimer
Fibrinogen
