| Tube cap color or type in order of draw | Additive | Usage and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Blood culture bottle | Sodium polyanethol sulfonate (anticoagulant) and growth media for microorganisms | Usually drawn first for minimal risk of contamination.[1] Two bottles are typically collected in one blood draw; one for aerobic organisms and one for anaerobic organisms.[2] |
| Blue
("light blue") |
Sodium citrate
(weak calcium chelator/anticoagulant) |
Coagulation tests such as prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and thrombin time (TT). Tube must be filled 100%. |
| Plain red | No additive | Serum: Total complement activity, cryoglobulins |
| Gold (sometimes red and grey "tiger top"[3]) | Clot activator and serum separating gel[4] | Serum-separating tube (SST): Tube inversions promote clotting. Most chemistry, endocrine and serology tests, including hepatitis and HIV. |
| Orange | Clot activator and serum separating gel[5] | Rapid serum-separating tube (RST). |
| Dark green | Sodium heparin (anticoagulant) | Chromosome testing, HLA typing, ammonia, lactate |
| Light green | Lithium heparin (anticoagulant)
Plasma separator gel |
Plasma. Tube inversions prevent clotting |
| Lavender ("purple") | EDTA (chelator / anticoagulant) | Whole blood: CBC, ESR, Coombs test, platelet antibodies, flow cytometry, blood levels of tacrolimus and cyclosporin |
| Pink | K2 EDTA (chelator / anticoagulant) | Blood typing and cross-matching, direct Coombs test, HIV viral load |
| Royal blue
("navy") |
EDTA (chelator / anticoagulant) | Trace elements, heavy metals, most drug levels, toxicology |
| Tan | Sodium EDTA (chelator / anticoagulant) | Lead |
| Gray |
Fluoride Oxalate
|
Glucose, lactate,[7] toxicology[8] |
| Yellow | Acid-citrate-dextrose A (anticoagulant) | Tissue typing, DNA studies, HIV cultures |
| Pearlescent ("white") | Separating gel and (K2)EDTA | PCR for adenovirus, toxoplasma and HHV-6 |
| Black | Sodium Citrate | Paediatric ESR |
| QuantiFERON
Grey, Green, Yellow, Purple |
QuantiFERON
1. Grey (nil) tube 2. Green (TB1 antigen) tube 3. Yellow (TB2 antigen) tube 4. Purple (mitogen) tube |
Tuberculosis |
References edit
- ^ Pagana, KD; Pagana, TJ; Pagana, TN (19 September 2014). Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference - E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-323-22592-2.
- ^ "Chapter 3.4.1: Blood cultures; general detection and interpretation". Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook. Wiley. 6 August 2020. ISBN 978-1-55581-881-4.
- ^ "Test Tube Guide and Order of Draw" (PDF). Guthrie Laboratory Services. June 2019.
- ^ "Specimen requirements/containers". Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UCI School of Medicine. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ "Proper Order of Draw" (PDF). Memorial Lab Services. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Castellini MA, Castellini JM, Kirby VL (1992). "Effects of standard anticoagulants and storage procedures on plasma glucose values in seals". J Am Vet Med Assoc. 201 (1): 145–8. PMID 1644639.
- ^ Amitava Dasgupta; Jorge L. Sepulveda (20 July 2019). Accurate Results in the Clinical Laboratory: A Guide to Error Detection and Correction. Elsevier Science. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-12-813777-2.
- ^ "What types of samples will the Toxicology Lab analyze?". Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2024-01-24.