A blood collection tube is a sterile plastic or glass test tube. It is sealed with colored rubber stopper creating sealed a vacuum (negative pressure) inside the tube to assist to collect a predetermined volume of blood. Becton Dickinson (BD) is the inventor of BD Vacutainer® blood collection tubes. However There are multiple manufacturers and the color of the tubes may vary. If you are unsure of the color coding and which tube to use, the best resource is your institution’s laboratory or the lab where the testing is done. Check the expiration date and do not tubes beyond that date.
Additives are added to the vacutainer tubes to preserve the specimen for laboratory analysis. The rubber stopper of collection the tubes are color coded according to the additive in the tube. Because of the additive in the tube, using the wrong tube may make the blood sample unusable. The same reason, do not pour blood specimen from one tube to another tube. Right after drawing the blood, mix the additive with the blood by slowly inverting the tube. Do NOT Shake the tube. Shaking the tube may hemolyze the blood making the sample unusable.
Follow your facility’s policy and recommended procedures for collection, temperature and transporting of specimens.
Correct sequence of draw is important to prevent the additives in a tube mix with another tube, causing inaccurate results and cross-contamination.\
Blood Culture:
Extreme care must be taken during collection of blood culture to prevent contamination with organisms from the skin or environment. It may result in wrong diagnosis and treatment.
One set of blood culture requires drawing the blood in an aerobic and anaerobic bottle or tubes. Collect specimen in the aerobic bottle first and then the anerobic bottle to prevent the air entering the anerobic bottle.
<insert picture of bottles>
While collecting blood culture specimen from adult patients, draw two sets 5 minutes apart from two separate venipuncture sites (total 4 bottles).
2nd draw: Blue-Top Tube containing Sodium Citrate (NaCitrate): This tube is primarily used for coagulation studies (PT and PTT). Filling blood as marked on the tube is essential to obtain accurate results.
<insert picture of blue top bottle>
3rd draw: Plain red top with no additive: Tests for immunology, chemistry, serology, blood bank
<insert picture of red top bottle>
4th draw: Gold or red with gray cap (Serum separation tubes / SST tubes) – These collection tubes contain polymer clot activator gel in the bottom of the tube to form a physical barrier between serum or plasma and the blood cells during centrifugation.
<insert picture of gray cap bottle>
5th draw: Navy Blue Top Tube – Contains K2 EDTA. Used primarily for trace metal analysis
<insert picture of navy blue bottle>
6th draw: Lavender-Top Tube – Contains EDTA: EDTA is the anticoagulant used for most hematology procedures. Its primary use is for the CBC and individual components of the CBC. The larger (6ml) tube is used for blood bank procedures.
<insert picture of Lavender top bottle>
Order of draw:
1. Blood Cultures
2. Citrate Tube (Light Blue) – PT, PTT
3. SSTTM Gel Separator Tube (Red or Gold) or Serum Tube (Plastic or Glass – Red)
4. SSTTM Gel Separator Tube (Red or Gold) or Serum Tube (Plastic or Glass – Red)
5. EDTA Tube (Lavender) CBC
6. Fluoride Tube (Grey)
