Equipment Selection and Maintenance Flashcards
Test Tube Color - Yellow
Blood culture and sterile specimens, ACD solution -additive used is sodium polyanetholesulfonate.
Test Tube Color - Blue
Commonly used for coagulation tests (PT, PTT, fibrinogen
Test Tube Color - Red
No additive required, Chemistry testing, Blood Bank Testing, Thixotropic gel can be added
Test Tube Color - Green
Additive used is sodium heparin or lithium heparin, which is a natural anticoagulant that inhibits thrombin. Commonly used for routine chemistry testing.
Test Tube Color - Lavender
Additive used is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Additive binds the calcium needed for clot formation. Commonly used for hematology testing (CBC, reticulocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation).
Test Tube Color - Gray
Additives used are sodium fluoride, a preservative that inhibits glycolic action, and potassium oxalate, an anticoagulant that binds calcium. Commonly used for glucose tolerance and lactic acid measurement.
Test Tube Color - Royal Blue or Tan
Used to collect samples for nutritional studies, therapeutic drug monitoring, and toxicology. Also used for testing aluminum, copper, arsenic, calcium, etc. Tan topped is used for lead testing and contains EDTA.
Anticoagulants
Prevent blood from clotting
Clot Activator
Promotes coagulation. Thrombin directly increases clotting and is therefore used for stat serum chemistries or for patients taking anticoagulants
Polymer gel (or thixotropic gel)
Is used to separate plasma and serum
Type of antiseptic
The type of antiseptic used in specimen collection is determined by the tests being ordered.
Isopropyl Alcohol
The most common antiseptic used for cleaning a puncture site
Iodine
When drawing samples for blood cultures, iodine is used to prevent contamination of the sample by skin flora
Site selection
The site from which a specimen is
Hematomas
Test results may be altered cause blood drawn from a hematoma not as fresh as venous blood
IV Sites
When possible, avoid drawing blood from an arm that has an IV in place. If no alternate site is available, be sure to perform specimen collection from a site that is distal (below) the IV site
Specimen collection
Collecting specimens in the correct tubes and following the proper order of draw will help to prevent contamination or interference
Tourniquet application
Typing a tourniquet too tightly can result in hemoconcentration or an increase in the proportion of cells to plasma
Select proper antiseptic agents for the test
Before routine venipuncture selection, the patients skin is cleaned with antiseptic to prevent contamination by normal skin flora
Needles-part of a multi-sample needle
Bevel, shaft, hub, graduated barrel, plunger
Proper capillary equipment and site
Capillary puncture is also known as skin puncture, microcapillary stick or finger stick
Proper capillary equipment and site
Skin is punctured with lancet. This is used to obtain small amount of blood.
Proper capillary equipment and site
Use alcohol for disinfection not iodine (as it leaves residue and affect the test result) using a circular motion from the inside out.
Capillary equipment and site-equipment
Gauze, bandages, peppers, clay sealer tray, glass slides, gloves, lancets, micro collection containers, microhematocrit tubes , spring loaded puncture device
