Phlebotomy: colors, additives, uses, operations

Question 1

Explain the mnemonic:

Stop-Light-Red

Stay-Put

Green-Light-Go

Answer 1

• Stop – Sterile (yellow)
• Light – Light blue tube
• Red – Red top tube
• Green – GTT (Green top tube)
• Light – LTT (Lavender top tube)
• Go – (Gray-top tube)
• Stay – SST/Red gray (Serum separated tube)
• Put – PST/Lt green (Plasma separated tube)

Question 2

1. ) Three methods of drawing blood
2. ) Capjet use method for infants

Answer 2

Three methods of blood draw

• Vacutainer method/needle
• Butterfly method/syringe-needle
• Fingerstick/milking

Capjet method for infants

• Heel stick, collect a drop, mix, repeat

Question 3

1. With an MI, collect a blood sample and _____.
2. One should always draw above or below the IV line?

Answer 3

1. Centrifuge, do not wait for it to clot
2. Below

Question 4

Additives in yellow-top tubes and their function

Answer 4

Sodium polyethanol sulfate (SPS)

Blood culture specimen collection in microbiology

Acid citrate dextrose (ACD) A or B

Blood bank studies

HLA phenotyping

DNA Paternity testing

Question 5

Additive in blue-top tubes

Answer 5

1. Buffered sodium citrate
2. Citrate, theophylline, adenosine dipyridamole (CTAD)

Question 6

Laboratory use of light blue tubes

Answer 6

• Routine coagulation determination
• CTAD for platelet function assays

Question 7

What is the additive in red-top tubes?

What is the laboratory use of red-top tubes?

Answer 7

Clot activator (plastic siding)

Laboratory use (60 sec to clot):

1. Chemistry serum determination
2. Blood donor screening
3. Infectious disease screening

Question 8

• Orange tube additive
• Laboratory uses of orange-top tubes

Answer 8

• Thrombin clot activator (5 minutes)
• Chemistry stat serum determinations

Question 9

Additives in gold or red/gray top tubes

Laboratory use of red/gray top tubes

Answer 9

• Clot activator
• Gel for serum separation
• Chemistry serum determination
• Routine blood donor screening
• Diagnostic testing for infectious disease
• Clotting time = 30 minutes

Question 10

Light green/gray-tube

• Additives
• Laboratory Use

Answer 10

Additives

• Lithium heparin
• Gel for plasma separation

Laboratory use

• Chemistry plasma determination

Question 11

Green top tube additives

Answer 11

Sodium heparin

Lithium heparin

Question 12

Green top tube laboratory use

Answer 12

Chemistry plasma determination

Question 13

Lavender top tube additives (2)

Answer 13

Liquid K₃ EDTA

K₂ EDTA

Question 14

Pink top tube additives

Answer 14

K₂ EDTA

Question 15

White top tube additives and laboratory use

Answer 15

K₂ EDTA and gel for plasma separation

• Molecular diagnostic test methods:
• PCR and/or branched DNA (bDNA)

Question 16

Lavender and pink top tube laboratory use

Answer 16

Whole blood hematology determination

K₂ EDTA used for

• Immunohematology testing
• Blood donor screening

Question 17

Gray top tube additives

Answer 17

• Sodium flouride + Potassium oxalate
• Sodium flouride + Na₂ EDTA
• Sodium fluoride

Question 18

Gray top tube laboratory use

Answer 18

Glucose determination

• Oxalate and EDTA will give plasma samples
• Sodium flouride is the antiglycolytic agent

Question 19

Royal blue additives

Answer 19

Clot Activator

K₂ EDTA

Question 20

Royal blue laboratory use

Answer 20

1. Nutritional chemistry determinations
2. Trace elements
3. Toxicology

Question 21

Tan top tube additives

Answer 21

K₂ EDTA

Question 22

Tan top tube laboratory use

Answer 22

Lead determination

Certified to contain less than .01 ug/mL (ppm) lead

Question 23

Clear red/gray top tube additives

Clear red/gray top tube laboratory use

Answer 23

None

Discard or secondary specimen

Question 24

Tubes of particular importance

Answer 24

Red (general, bloodbank)

Light Blue (coagulation)

Lavender (diff, cbc)

Question 25

What do you do if:

1. Patient is not bleeding from needle removal
2. Patient bleeds from needle removal

Answer 25

IMMEDIATELY cap/dispose of needle. Attend patient.

Attend patient. Cap needle. DISPOSE of needle.