3/19/2019Blood samples must be drawn by phlebotomists in a specific order to avoid cross-contamination of the sample by additives found in different collection tubes. Phlebotomy order of draw is the same for specimens collected by syringe, tube holder, or into tubes preevacuated at the time of collection. The correct order of draw follows:
The placement of tubes not listed here should take into consideration the potential for their additive to alter results obtained from the next tube if carryover were to occur. Plastic serum tubes containing a clot activator may cause interference in coagulation testing. Only blood culture tubes, glass nonadditive serum tubes, or plastic serum tubes without a clot activator may be collected before the coagulation tube. Numerous errors can occur during the collection and handling of blood specimens, which pose significant and avoidable risks to the patient and the phlebotomist. When global standards are not fully implemented, it is more likely that patients will be injured during the procedure, biologically representative specimens will not be obtained from patients, and test results will not be comparable from one facility to another. CLSI’s GP41 —Collection of Diagnostic Venous Blood Specimens provides a descriptive, stepwise process and procedures reflecting the quality system essentials format for diagnostic venous blood specimen collection. Special considerations for collections from vascular access devices, blood culture collection, and collections in isolation environments are included, as well as how to handle emergency situations. An expanded appendix section provides helpful tips for collecting specimens from pediatric and other challenging patients. ← Go BackInvented by Joseph Kleiner and Becton Dickinson in 1949, an evacuated blood collection tube is a sterile plastic or glass test tube that is used to collect blood specimens. It has a coloured rubber stopper that creates a vacuum seal inside the tube, enabling a predetermined volume of liquid to be drawn. Blood collection tubes may contain additives to stabilize and preserve the blood sample prior to analytical testing. Every evacuated blood collection tube is covered with a colour-coded plastic or rubber cap. The colour helps indicate the type of additives in the tube. Additives include chemical substances like anticoagulants that preserve the blood for processing in a laboratory. Some tubes also contain a gel that has a density between that of blood cells and serum. When these gel-containing tubes are centrifuged, the blood cells sink to the bottom and the serum – separated by a layer of the gel – accumulates on top. Evacuated blood collection tubes not containing gel or a clotting agent, on the other hand, are used when plasma, instead of serum, is required for lab analysis. Every additive has a specific function and is selected as per the laboratory test to be performed. The colour indicators on the tubes help the phlebotomist identify the tube in which the blood should be drawn in accordance with the recommended test. Since blood collection tubes and tests are connected, using the wrong colour tube may render the blood sample unusable for the intended test. The Colour Code There is a standard protocol to the colour code on blood collection tubes that is universally applied across the medical field. Here is a comprehensive table that sheds light on the colour codes, the additives they indicate, and what they are used for.
There are blood collection tubes for more specific purposes; however, the aforementioned are most commonly used. Safe, convenient, and easy to use, evacuated blood tubes offer several benefits such as facilitating multi-tube draws, while lowering the odds of hemolysis. Consequently, they are widely used in phlebotomy in both developed and developing countries across the world. HMD, a renowned name in the healthcare industry, offers Vaku-8 evacuated tubes that help in collecting blood directly into the tube during venepuncture procedure. The evacuated tubes protect the phlebotomist from the chances of risky blood exposure, thereby ensuring their safety. To know more about vacuum vaku-8 blood collection tube, click on the link below: https://hmdhealthcare.com/product/tube-vaku8/ |