1. Order Of Draw

Question 1

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

Blood cultures

Answer 1

Pale yellow stopper or bottles
SPS
Inactivates antibiotics and inhibits glycolysis
Whole blood
Microbiology
Blood cultures

Question 2

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

Citrates

Answer 2

Blue or black or pale yellow
Na citrate (blue and black) / ACD (pale yellow)
Precipitates calcium
Plasma and sometimes whole blood
Blue- Coagulation/Hematology / Black – Hematology / Pale yellow – Immunohematology
PT , PTT, INR Fibrinogen d-dimer ESR (Black tube) HLA typing

Question 3

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

SST - Plastic Red

Answer 3

Gold or Red
Clot activator +/- gel
Enhances clotting
Serum
Routine chemistry and Serology 
Liver enzymes Hormone levels Therapeutic drugs

Question 4

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

Heparin

Answer 4

Green Or pale green
Na or Li Heparin +/- gel
Inhibits Thrombin
Plasma
Stat chemistry
Lytes Glucose Urea Creatinine ETOH

Question 5

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

EDTA

Answer 5

Lavender/purple/mauve or pink
K2EDTA
Binds calcium
Whole blood
Haematology and transfusion
CBC, Hgb, platelets Differential Xmatch

Question 6

What is the stopper color, additive, mode of action, specimen type, department and common tests for:

Grey Top (Common Name)

Answer 6

Grey
Sodium fluoride or Potassium oxalate
Glycolytic (enzyme) inhibitor - Precipitate calcium
Plasma
Chemistry
Lactate (on ice) Fasting glucose Ethanol

Question 7

Using this memory jogger, what is the order of draw?

Yellow light slow, green light go (yellow, light blue, serum (SST or red), green, lavender, grey).

Answer 7

1. Blood cultures (sterile) – Bottle or pale yellow.
2. Coagulation tubes– Pale blue.
3. SST (serum tubes) – Golden yellow (or red).
4. Heparin– Green or pale green (contains separating gel).
5. EDTA– Purple.
6. Oxalates/Fluoride (or glycolytic inhibitor) – Grey.