Evacuated Tube Identification

Front 1

Red-Topped Tubes

Additive: None
Come in glass or plastic
Used for most drug tests. Drugs can get caught in the gel of SST tube. Plastic red-topped tubes contain a clot activator and should not be used for blood banking.

Back 1

Common Lab Use:
Chemistry tests on Serum: glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, potassium, amylase, alkaline phosphatase, BUN, ck, liver enzymes,
Serology tests on Serum: RPR, Monospot, rheumatoid factor, ANA

Front 2

Serum separator tube (SST)

Color: Some are GOLD topped. Most have speckled look, w/black mixed into the red protion.
Additive: Serum separator gel clot activator. It speeds up the coagulation process, causing the sample to clot faster. The gel separates the serum from the blood cells by getting between the clot and the serum during centrifugation.

Back 2

Separating the serum from cells helps prevent contamination by cellular chemicals that are released because of hemolysis, which can occur w/in a cpl hrs. after collection.
Used for:
Chemistry tests on serum: glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, potassium

Front 3

Lavender topped tubes;
Additives: EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid). EDTA prevents blood from clotting by binding w/calcium. Since calcium is necessary for normal clot formation, when the EDTA binds w/calcium, coagulation is prevented. EDTA is the anticoagulant of choice for hematology bec it maintains the cells' shape and size better than other anticoagulants. It inhibits platelet clumping and does not interfere w/ routine staining procedures utilized in hemotology.

Back 3

Lab use:
Hematology tests on whole blood: CBC (compl blood count), differential, platelet count, reticulocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, sickle cell screen, hemoglobin electrophoresis, some chemistry tests, hemoglobin A1c.

Front 4

Light Blue-Topped Tubes;

Additive: Sodium citrate
Used in the coagulation section of the lab. Common coagulation tests performed are the prothrombin time (PT) and the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT). Sodium citrate binds calcium, thus preventing coagulation. Tube must be completely filled for accurate lab tests. They have a relatively large amt of additive. Tube needs to be inverted to prevent clotting.

Back 4

When certain types of equip. are used for venipuncture, a small red tube may be collected first.
Lab. Use:
Coagulation tests on plasma: PT, APTT or PTT, factor assays, fibrinogen, thrombin.

Front 5

Green Topped Tubes:
Additive:Sodium heparin, Lithium heparin, Ammonium heparin. Lithium heparin and gel for plasma separation. Called plasma barier tubes.

Back 5

Lab use:
Chemistry test on plasma: ammonia, chromosome screening.
Heparin stops the coagulation process by inactivation thrombin and thromboplastin, thus preventing clot formation.
Many labs use green topped tubes for STAT and gen chemistry tests.

Front 6

Grey-Topped Tubes:

Additive: Sodium fluoride, (glucose preservative). Potassium oxalate (anticoagulant) which stops the coagulation process by binding w/calcium.
Blood collected is usually used for glucose analysis.

Back 6

A glycolytic inhibitor prevents the metabolism of glucose by red blood cells. Tubes are used for blood glucose and blood alcohol levels.
Lab use:
Glucose, Lactate, Alcohol levels.

Front 7

Yellow-Topped Tubes:

Additive: Sodium polyanethol, sulfonate (SPS), Acid citrate dextrose (ACD)
Tubes have 2 diff additives. They look identical. SPS is used for blood culture collections.
ACD maintains red cell viability and is used for cellular studies in blood banks or HLA typing.

Back 7

Lab use:
SPS- Blood cultures

ACD- Cellular studies
HLA typing (tissue typing)
Paternity testing

Front 8

Light Green or Green/Gray Topped Tubes ---
Plasma Separator Tube (PST):


Additive: Lithium heparin and gel for plasma separation.

Back 8

Lab use:
Plasma tests in chemistry dept.
STAT chemistry tests.




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Front 9

Orange or Gray/Yellow Topped tubes;

Additive: Thrombin


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Back 9

Lab use:

STAT serum tests


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Front 10

Royal Blue Topped Tube:

Additive: Clot activator
(plastic serum)
EDTA (plastic )

Back 10

Lab use;

For trace elements, toxicology, and nutritional chemistry testing.

Front 11

Tan Topped Tube;

Additive: EDTA (plastic)



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Back 11

Lab use;

Lead


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Front 12

White Topped Tube;

Additive: EDTA with gel




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Back 12

Lab use:

Molecular diagnostic tests such as DNA testing.



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Front 13

Pink Topped tube;

Additive: Spray-coated EDTA




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Back 13

Whole blood hematology






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Front 14

Clear or Red/Gray Topped Tube;


Additive: None (plastic)



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Back 14

Lab use:

Used as a discard tube when required.

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