Order Up!
The color of the tube that is the 1st in the order of draw?
Yellow
Starting the order of draw, what specific additives are found inside a Sterile/Yellow top tube and a Light Blue top tube?
SPS (Sodium Polyanethole Sulfonate) in yellow and Sodium Citrate in Light Blue
A Lavender top tube must be delivered to which department for complete blood cell counts?
Hematology
As a phlebotomist, you grab a Light Blue top tube from your tray because the doctor just placed an order for your patient. Which group of tests are you setting up to perform?
PT/INR, APTT, D-Dimer, and Fibrinogen
Which tube color requires 0 inversions after it is drawn?
Red
The color of the tube that is drawn 2nd in the order of draw?
Light Blue
A Gold tube does not contain an anticoagulant, but instead relies on what additive to process serum?
SST
Red top tubes can be sent to Chemistry and Serology, but they are also uniquely sent to which department for blood typing and cross-matching?
Blood Bank
As a phlebotomist, you pull a Gold top / SST tube from your cart to fulfill a routine physician request. Which group of baseline metabolic and chemistry tests are you preparing to draw?
Vitamin D, B12, TSH, PSA, BMP, and LFTs
Which tube color requires a strict 9:1 fill ratio and always requires a discard tube to be drawn right before it?
Light Blue
Which tube colors are drawn 3rd and then 4th?
3rd is red and 4th is gold
To prevent clotting by directly inhibiting thrombin, what active chemical additive is found inside a Green top tube?
Lithium Heparin or Sodium Heparin
Sterile/Yellow top tubes used for blood cultures to detect septicemia are sent directly to which laboratory department?
Microbiology
As a phlebotomist, you pull both a Sterile/Yellow top tube and a Green top tube from your tray to fulfill a set of special orders. What specific combination of tests did the physician order?
A Blood Culture (for systemic septicemia) and an Ammonia test (to be placed on ice)
Which tube color requires the venipuncture site to be scrubbed for 2 minutes with Chlorhexidine or Iodine and let dry for 1 minute, rather than standard alcohol?
Sterile/Yellow
Which tube colors represent the 5th and 6th positions in the order of draw?
Green and lavender
What specific chemical additive is found inside a Lavender top tube to prevent clotting by binding directly to calcium?
EDTA
To which single laboratory department will you deliver Gold, Green, and Grey top tubes for routine metabolic and sugar panels?
Chemistry
As a phlebotomist, you pull a Lavender top tube for one order, and a plain Red top tube for another. Which distinct sets of tests match these two chosen tubes?
A Complete Blood Count (CBC/A1C/ESR) and Blood Typing/Cross-matching
Which tube color must be allowed to sit upright and clot for 30 minutes to 1 hour before processing?
Gold
While Grey is the 7th and final routine tube in the sequential order of draw, which color tube is listed at the very end of phlebotomy guides as a special-use exception?
Royal Blue
What chemical additives are found inside a Grey top tube and a standard Royal Blue top tube?
Sodium Fluoride/Potassium Oxalate in Grey; K2 EDTA in Royal Blue
Don't confuse your blues! To which laboratory department must you deliver a Light Blue top tube, and which specialized department processes the Royal Blue tube for Trace Elements and Nutritional Studies?
Coagulation and Toxicology
As a phlebotomist, you select a Grey top tube and a Royal Blue top tube to complete the final orders of your shift. Which specialized testing groups are you preparing to run?
Ethyl Alcohol (ETOH)/Lactic Acid tests and Heavy Metals (like Lead or Mercury)
When drawing an Ethyl Alcohol (ETOH) level in a Grey tube, what must you use to clean the site instead of standard alcohol wipes?
Betadine, Benzalkonium, or antiseptic soap and water