| Question | Answer |
| Red Top | Contains: None
Effects on Specimen: Blood clots, and the serum is separated by centrifugation
Uses: Chemistries, Immunology and Serology, Blood Bank (Crossmatch) |
| Red-Gray Mottled Top (Tiger Top) | Contains: Serum Separating Tube(SST)with clot activator
Effects on Specimen: Forms clot quickly and separates the serum with SST gel at the bottom of the tube |
| Gold Top | Contains: Separating gel and clot activator
Effects on specimen: Serum separator tube(SST)contains a gel serum on centrifugation
Uses:Serology, endodrine, immunology, including HIV |
| Light Green Top | Contains: Plasma Separating Tube(Na Heparin)
Effects on specimen: Anticoagulants with lithium heparin: plasma is separated with PST gel at the botton of the tube.
Uses: Chemistries |
| Lavender/Purple Top | Contains: EDTA(liquid form)
Effects on Specimen: Forms calcium salts to remove calcium
Uses: Hematology (CBC) and Blood Bank (Crossmatch); requires a full draw-invert 8 times to prevent clotting and platelet clumping. |
| Light Blue Top | Contains: Sodium citrate(Na Citrate)
Effects on Speciment: Form calcium salts to remove calcium
Uses: Coagulation test (PT,PTT,TCT,CMV), tube must be filled 100% |
| Dark Green Top | Contains: Sodium heparin or lithium heparin
Effects of Specimen: Inactivates thrombin and thromboplastin
Uses: Ammonia,lactate,HLA typing
For lithium level, use sodium heparin
For ammonia level, use sodium or lithium heparin |
| Yellow Top | Contains: ACD (acid-citrate-dextose)
Effects on specimen: Complement inactivation
Uses: Paternity testing, DNA studies |
| Dark Blue/Royal Blue Top | Contains: Sodium heparin or Na2 EDTA
Effects on specimen: Forms calcium salts
Tube is designed to contain no contamination metals
Uses: Toxicology and trace elements testing (zinc,copper,lead,mercury) and drug level testing |
| Light Gray Top | Contains: Sodium fluoride and patassium oxalate
Effects on specimen: Anticolytic agent preseves glucose up to 5 days
Uses: For lithium level, uses sodium heparin Glucoses requires a full draw( may cause hemolysis if short draw) |
| Tan/Brown Top | Contains: Sodium heparin
Effects on specimen: Inactivates thrombin and thromboplastin.
Uses: Serum lead determination |
| Black Top | Contains: Sodium citrate(buffered)
Effects on specimen: Forms calcium salts to remove calcium
Uses: Westergren Sedimentation Rate; requires a full draw |
| Orange Top | Contains: Thrombin
Effects on specimen: Quickly clots blood
Uses: STAT serum chemistries |
