What are three chemical substances that may be added to collection tubes

By David Edwards May 17, 2026

Tube cap colorAdditiveRed or gold (mottled or “tiger” top used with some tubes)Serum tube with or without clot activator or gelGreenSodium or lithium heparin with or without gelLavender or pinkPotassium EDTAGraySodium fluoride, and sodium or potassium oxalate

What substance is in the collection tube?

Blood collection tubes containing heparin, which stabilizes the red blood cell membranes, are used for specialized hematology studies, such as red cell fragility tests and several specialized chemistry tests.

What is the chemical substance which can be found in a specific blood collection tube which works to prevent blood clotting?

Anticoagulant. Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time.

What are the additives in blood collection tubes?

The additives may include anticoagulants (EDTA, sodium citrate, heparin) or a gel with density between those of blood cells and blood plasma. Additionally, some tubes contain additives that preserve certain components of or substances within the blood, such as glucose.

What are the most common additives in tubes?

Sodium Citrate tubes: Blue stopper:
SST tubes: Yellow stopper:
Heparin tubes: Green stopper:
EDTA tubes: Purple stopper:

How do you remember additives in phlebotomy tubes?

Some phlebotomist use a mnemonic to help them remember. Blog Market Lab shared some very humorous mnemonics, such as “Studious Boy’s Rarely Get Low Grades” referring to Sterile, Blue, Green, Lavender and Grey.

What tubes contain no additives?

6. Red – Tube contains no additive, used for serum chemistry testing, serology, and blood bank testing.

What additives are in the yellow tube?

STOPPER COLORCONTENTSUSES/COMMENTSGreenSodium heparin(100 USP Units)Ammonia, Lactate, HLA TypingTanK2 EDTALead levelsYellowACD Solution A consists of trisodium citrate, citric acid and dextroseDNA Studies, HIV CulturesPink(K2)EDTABlood type & Screen, Compatibility Study, Direct Coombs HIV Viral Load

What are tube additives?

Which of the following substances is contained in a serum separator tube?

Serum separator tubes contain a clot activator as well as a gel, the latter forming a barrier to separate the serum from the cells during and after centrifugation. Serum is used for many tests. Blood also may be collected into a tube containing an anticoagulant, which prevents clotting.

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What are 3 types of anticoagulants?

Vitamin K antagonists.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)
Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH)

What common chemical added to blood greatly increases its storage time?

Preservative solutions are added to RBCs to improve their shelf-life and quality. In the early 1940s, the development of the first effective anticoagulant-preservative solution, acid citrate dextrose (ACD), allowed RBCs to be stored for up to 21 days.

What additive is in the lavender tube?

Lavender-top tube (EDTA) This tube contains EDTA as an anticoagulant – used for most hematological procedures. These tubes are preferred for molecular tests.

What are additives used for in phlebotomy?

Most blood collection tubes contain an additive that either accelerates clotting of the blood (clot activator) or prevents the blood from clotting (anticoagulant).

What additive is in the white top tube?

Tan top tube is used specifically to test for lead and is certified lead free. The tube contains sodium heparin or EDTA as an additive. White top tube contains EDTA with gel as an additive and used in molecular diagnostic testing to include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or branched DNA.

Which tube contains SPS?

14. Yellow Top Tube Additive: Contains the anticoagulant sodium polyanetholesulfonate (SPS). Used to collect specimens to be cultured.

What is sodium heparin tube used for?

Green (Sodium or Lithium Heparin): Contains the anticoagulant sodium heparin or lithium heparin. This tube is used for preparing heparinized plasma, whole blood, or bone marrow specimens. Tube should be inverted 8-10 times after collection to prevent clotting. Lavender (EDTA): Contains the anticoagulant EDTA.

Which type of additive is not appropriate for the collection of specimens for lithium testing?

Citric acid and dextrose should not be used because this combination will dilute the plasma and cause hemolysis.

What is the correct order of tubes when drawing blood?

The order of draw is based on CLSI Procedures and Devices for the Collection of Capillary Blood Specimens; Approved Standard – Sixth Edition, September 2008. This standard recommends that EDTA tubes be drawn first to ensure good quality specimen, followed by other additive tubes and finally, serum specimen tubes.

What other factors of specimen collection can have an adverse effect on chemistry analytes?

Time before separation from cells (for plasma). …
Centrifugation conditions. …
Special separation requirements. …
Division of the sample into a sufficient number of aliquots of a sufficient volume. …
Temperature and time between separation and analysis.

What is SST in phlebotomy?

Serum separator tube (SST) contains a. gel at the bottom to separate blood cells. from serum on centrifugation.

What tube contains preservative and anticoagulant?

Potassium Oxalate/Sodium Fluoride (Grey-Top Tube)*: This tube contains Potassium Oxalate as an anticoagulant and Sodium Fluoride as a preservative, used to preserve glucose in whole blood and for some special chemistry tests.

What is a lithium heparin tube?

VACUETTE® LH lithium heparin tubes are coated with lithium heparin on the inside. The anticoagulant heparin activates antithrombin, which blocks the clotting cascade and thus produces a whole blood/plasma sample. Selected tubes are also available with a transparent label.

What are three ways in which a hematoma may occur?

Examples of hematomas include subdural, spinal, under the finger or toenail bed (subungual), ear, and liver (hepatic). Some causes of hematomas are as pelvic bone fractures, fingernail injuries (subungual), bumps, passing blood clots, blood clot in the leg (DVT), blood cancers, and excessive alcohol use.

Which of the following types of additives is present in an EDTA tube?

Which of the following types of additives is present in an EDTA tube? An EDTA tube contains the anticoagulant sodium ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, which prevents clotting. Red top tubes can be plain or have gel separators. Plastic red top tubes can contain a clot activator to expedite the clotting process.

What is the clot activator in serum tubes?

Serum (clot activator) tubes (color dependent on brand: BD is commonly gold but also red, Greiner is red). These tubes have silica particles, which activate clotting. Some also have a gel to separate the serum. … Although the silica-coated tubes clot within about 30 minutes, the orange tubes clot within 5 minutes.

What are the types of anticoagulants used by phlebotomy?

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), heparin, and citrate are the most commonly used anticoagulants (39–41). Potassium EDTA (Table 1), an anticoagulant and chelating agent, interferes with calcium assays and clot generation (42), but it is preferred for hematology testing.

What drugs promote clotting?

Antifibrinolytic drugs promote blood clotting by preventing blood clots from breaking down. Some examples of antifibrinolytic drugs are aprotinin, tranexamic acid (TXA), epsilon-aminocaproic acid and aminomethylbenzoic acid. Doctors sometimes give these drugs to patients having surgery to prevent blood loss.

Which of the following drugs are examples of anticoagulants?

Apixaban (Eliquis)
Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
Edoxaban (Savaysa)
Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
Heparin.
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
Warfarin (Coumadin)

What are the biochemical changes in a stored blood?

Red blood cells undergo a series of biochemical fluctuations during 35–42-day storage period at 1°C to 6°C. The sodium/potassium pump is immobilised causing a decrease in intracellular potassium with an increase in cytoplasmic sodium levels, glucose levels decline, and acidosis occurs as a result of low pH levels.

What common chemical added to blood keeps it from clotting until it is ready to be transfused to a patient?

Composition of anticoagulant-preservatives Citric acid is used in conjunction with sodium citrate and dextrose to make the anticoagulant solution called acid citrate dextrose (ACD). This was one of the earliest anti- coagulants used for blood collection and storage.