Color-Coded Tubes Flashcards
(54 cards)
Tests: Blood culture
Additive/s: Sodium polyanethol sulfonate
Number of inversions: 8 – 10 times
Specimen: Whole blood
STERILE TUBE
Tests: Coagulation tests
Additive/s: Sodium citrate (3.2% or 3.8%) – because of the preservation of labile factors
Number of inversions: 3 - 4 times
Specimen: Whole blood
COAGULATION TUBES
Test: Specialized platelet testing
▪ Contains sodium citrate, theophylline, adenosine and dipyridamole
▪ Minimizes in vitro platelet activation and the artificial entry of platelet factors
into plasma
Glass CTAD tube with a light blue Hemogard closure
- Thrombin and soybean trypsin inhibitor
▪ Providing serum for determinations of certain fibrin degradation products
Special blue stopper
Tests: Stat and routine chemistry tests, ammonia, electrolytes, arterial blood gases
Additive/s: Silica (clot activator), none in glass
Number of inversions: 5 times for plastic tubes; none for glass tubes
Specimen: Serum after centrifugation
SERUM TUBES (WITH OR WITHOUT CLOT ACTIVATOR/GEL)
a. Red top
Tests: Most chemistry tests; “stat” tests
Additive/s: Spray-coated silica (to increase platelet activation) and a polymer barrier gel
Number of inversions: 5 times, complete clotting within 30 minutes
Specimen: Serum after centrifugation
SERUM TUBES (WITH OR WITHOUT CLOT ACTIVATOR/GEL)
b. Serum-separator tubes: Gold BD Hemogard closure or Red-gray (Tiger-speckled)
Function: Discard tube – non-additive for coagulation studies or when using a winged
blood collection set
Number of inversions: None
SERUM TUBES (WITH OR WITHOUT CLOT ACTIVATOR/GEL)
c. Red/Light Gray and Clear top
Tests: Chemistry (stat tests), Serology, Blood bank
Additive/s: Heparin with sodium, lithium or ammonium ion
Number of inversions: 5 – 10 times (depending on the manufacturer)
Specimen: Whole blood
HEPARIN TUBES (WITH OR WITHOUT GEL PLASMA SEPARATOR)
a. Green
Tests: Chemistry with use of plasma (most especially potassium because heparin
prevents the release of potassium by platelets during clotting)
Additive/s: Lithium heparin and Polymer gel
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
HEPARIN TUBES (WITH OR WITHOUT GEL PLASMA SEPARATOR)
b. Light Green or Green-gray: Plasma separator tubes
Tests: Routine hematology procedures (CBC, sedimentation rate)
Additive/s: Spray-dried K2EDTA or Liquid K3EDTA; Powdered Na2EDTA
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
EDTA TUBES
a. Lavender (Purple) top
Tests: Blood bank (Compatibility testing)
Additive/s: K2EDTA
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
EDTA TUBES
b. Pink top
Tests: Molecular diagnostics but can be used for MI panels and ammonia levels,
depending on the test methodology and instrumentation
Additive/s: Spray-coated K2EDTA
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
PEARL/WHITE TOP: PLASMA PREPARATION TUBES
Tests: Lactic acid, Glucose tolerance test, Fasting blood sugar, Blood alcohol levels
Additive/s: Anti-glycolytic agent (Sodium fluoride or Iodoacetate) and Potassium oxalate
or Na2EDTA
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
GLYCOLYTIC INHIBITOR TUBES
Tests: Stat serum chemistry determinations and samples from patients receiving
anticoagulant therapy
Additive/s: Thrombin – clots within 5 minutes
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Serum
THROMBIN-BASED TUBES
a. Yellow/gray and Orange top
Tests: Stat serum tests
Additive/s: Thrombin-based medical clotting agent – clots within 5 minutes and
separation gel
Number of inversions: 5 times
Specimen: Serum
THROMBIN-BASED TUBES
b. Orange top: Rapid serum Tests (RSTs)
Tests: Lead determination
Additive/s: K2EDTA
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
SPECIAL COLLECTION TUBES
1. TAN
Tests: Toxicology, trace metals, nutritional analysis
Additive/s: Spray-coated silicon clot activator or; K2EDTA or Heparin
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Serum or plasma
ROYAL BLUE
Tests: Cellular studies in blood bank, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotyping
and DNA and paternity testing
Additive/s: Acid Citrate Dextrose
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
YELLOW
Tess: Westergren sedimentation rate
Additive/s: Buffered sodium citrate (4:1 ratio)
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
BLACK
Tests: Whole blood molecular diagnostics testing;
Additive/s: Sodium citrate and Polyester gel and a Density gradient liquid
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
LIGHT BLUE/BLACK: CELL PREPARATION TUBES (CPT)
Tests: Whole blood molecular diagnostics testing
Additive/s: Sodium heparin and a Polyester gel and Density gradient liquid
Number of inversions: 8 times
Specimen: Whole blood
RED/GREEN
Sodium citrate
Coagulation
Light blue
None
Chemistry, Blood Bank, Serology/Immunology
Red
Clot activator
Chemistry
Red
