BLOOD COMPOSITION

Whole Blood 8% Blood Plasma 55% Protein 7% Albumins

Globulins
Fibrinogen
All Others
Other Fluids and Tissues 92% Formed Elements 45% Water 91.5% Electrolytes
Other Solutes Nutrients
Gases
Regulatory
Substances
Waste
BODY WEIGHT VOLUME PLASMA SOLUTES

Platelets NEUTRO
WBC LYMPHO
RCS MONO
FOSINO
BASO
FORMED ELEMENTS WBCs

SPECIMEN COLLECTION

A. VENIPUNTURE

Most common method Evacuated Tube System

Most common needle size gauge 21

Torniquet < 1 minute, 3-4 inches above the site (7.5 to 10 cm)

Most common skin cleaner 70% isopropyl alcohol

When obtaining legal blood alcohol levels non-alcohol antiseptic ex: Benzalkenium Chloride

Three primary veins used in venipuncture

Median cubital vein

- First choice for venipuncture

- Most anchored/most stationary vein
- Large & closer to the surface

Cephalic vein

- Harder to palpate
- Vein which is felt in obese patient
- 2nd choice for venipuncture

Basilic vein

- 3rd choice for venipuncture

- Increased risk of hitting nerves & the brachial artery
Tube Color and Anticoagulant/Additive

Stopper Color Anticoagulant/additive Specimen type/use Mechanism of Action

Red (glass) None Serum/Chemistry and serology N/A
Red
Clot activator Serum/ Chemistry and serology Silica clot activator
(plastic/Hemogard)
Lavender (glass) K3Edta in liquid form Whole blood/hematology Chelates (binds) calcium
Lavender (plastic) K2Edta/ spray-dried Whole blodd/hematology Chelates (binds) calcium
Whole blood/ blood bank and
Pink Spray-dried K2Edta Chelates (binds) calcium
molecular diagnostics
White Edta and gel Plasma/ molecular diagnostic Chelates (binds) calcium
Light blue Sodium citrate Plasma/coagulation Chelates(binds) calcium

Black Thrombin and soy bean plasma/sedimentation rates Chelates (binds) calcium
trypsin hematology
Light green/black Sodium citrate plasma/chemistry Inhibits thrombin formalin
Green Lithium heparin and gel Plasma/chemistry Inhibits thrombin formalin
Royal blue Sodium heparin,K2EDTA Plasma/chemistry/toxicology Heparin inhibits thrombin
formation; Na2EDTA binds
calcium
Gray Sodium Plasma/glucose testing Inhibits glycolysis
fluoride/potassium
oxalate
Yellow Sterile containing sodium Serum/microbiology culture Aids in bacterial recovery by
polyanetholesulfonate inhibiting complement,
phagocytes, and certain
antibiotics
Yellow Acid citrate dextrose Plasma/blood bank, HLA WBC preservative
phenotyping, and paternity testing
Tan (glass) Sodium heparin Plasma/lead testing Inhibits thrombin formation
Tan (plastic) K2EDTA Plasma/lead testing Chelates (binds) calcium
Yellow/gray and Thrombin Serum/chemistry Clot activator
orange
Red/gray gold Clot activator separation Serum/chemistry Silica clot activator
gel

Recommended Order of Order

- sterile, light blue

- red, serum separator
- plasma separator, green
- lavender, gray

Recommended Anticoagulants for Different Test

Sodium Citrate EDTA Heparin Sodium Fluoride w/ Heparinized Syringe
heparin
Prothrombin CBC, (WBC, RBC, Barbiturates Blood alcohol Blood gases
PTT HTC, Diff) BUN Glucose tolerance
Thrombin Time Eosinophil count Carboxyhemoglobin Lactic Acid and
Hb electrophoresis Cholinesterase tolerance
Reticulocyte count Corticoid (cortisol) Pyruvic acid
ESR Fibrinogen
Sickle cell prep Methemoglobin
Platelet count NH3
Na, K, Cl, CO2
Ph
Sulfa level
Haptoglobin
Plasma hemoglobin
Copper
B. SKIN PUNCTURES
Capillary blood = venous blood + arterial blood + tissue

Indications
Patient < 2 years old
Newborns
Ederly with fragile
Patients severly burned