MEDT 02- PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE PRACTICE II - LABORATORY

Lesson 3-2: Blood Collection Additives and Order of Draw

Learning Objectives
At the end of this experiment, the learner will be able to:
1. Enumerate the different types of collection tubes and the additives they contain.
2. Describe the different uses of each type of evacuated tubes.
3. Know the correct order of draw, proper number of inversions, and clotting time.

Principle
Color coding indicates the type of sample that will be obtained when a particular tube is used.
 Test may be run on plasma, serum or whole blood.
 Tests may also require the presence of preservatives, inhibitors, clot activators, or barrier gel.

Resources:

Evacuated tubes (blue, purple, red, etc.)

Tube Closure
Collection Tube Inversion Clotting Time Use
Color
Blood Culture bottles/tubes
SPS-sodium polyanethol
Yellow 8-10 N/A Bacteriology
sulfonate
(sterile procedure)
Light Blue Citrated Tube 3-4 N/A Coagulation
Chemistry,
Gold/Tiger Serum Separator Tubes 5 30 mins
Serology

5 (plastic) Chemistry,
Red Serum Tube 60 mins
None (glass) Serology

Chemistry ,
Orange Rapid Serum Tube 5-6 5 mins
Serology (STAT)

Light Green/ Plasma Separator Tube Plasma

8-10 N/A
Light Green Tiger w/ Heparin Chemistry

Plasma
Green Heparin Tube 8-10 N/A
Chemistry
Ethylenediaminetetraactetic Hematology,
Lavender 8-10 N/A
acid (EDTA) Tube HbA1C
Molecular
Pearl/White PPT Separator Tube 8-10 N/A
diagnostics

Oxalate/Fluoride, glycolytic Chemistry

Gray 8-10 N/A
inhibitor Tubes Glucose, alcohol

TTV 2021-2022
 MEDT 02- PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE PRACTICE II - LABORATORY

References:

*Modified from The Complete Textbook of Phlebotomy 5 th Ed. Procedure 2-2 and 2-3 and the CDC PPE
sequence poster

TTV 2021-2022