Tube Colors & Additives
Which tube color contains Sodium Citrate and is primarily used for coagulation testing?
LIGHT BLUE
Which test is specifically evaluated using a Light Blue top tube to monitor warfarin therapy?
PT (PROTHROMBIN TIME)
Testing for PT, PTT, INR, and D-dimer falls under which laboratory department?
HEMATOLOGY
Which test, drawn in a Green top tube, specifically assesses liver function, especially in cases of altered mental status or liver failure?
AMMONIA
When drawing blood using a winged infusion set (butterfly needle) for a Light Blue top tube, what must be collected first?
DISCARD TUBE
What is the primary additive found in Lavender and Pink tubes?
EDTA
A type and screen or crossmatch before a blood transfusion is drawn using which color tube?
PINK
Which department processes blood culture collections drawn in Yellow top tubes?
MICROBIOLOGY
Which test uses a Gray top tube to help assess tissue oxygen levels, which can be critically elevated in sepsis or shock?
LACTIC ACID
When drawing blood culture bottles, which bottle must always be drawn first?
AEROBIC
Which tube top contains a clot activator and gel specifically for serum separation?
GOLD OR TIGER TOP (SST)
Which test requires a Gray top tube to assess the body's response to sugar, such as when diagnosing gestational diabetes?
GTT (GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST)
Tests such as a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), lipid panel, and liver enzymes are processed in which department?
CHEMISTRY
Which green or light green top tube test detects heart muscle injury for diagnosing heart attacks?
TROPONIN
What does an ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) test—collected in a Lavender tube—primarily detect in the body?
INFLAMMATION
What additives are combined in Gray top tubes to test for glucose and blood alcohol?
SODIUM FLOURIDE & POTASSIUM OXALATE
What type of test is collected in a Yellow top tube containing SPS?
BLOOD CULTURES
Which department handles Type and Screen as well as compatibility testing using Pink tubes?
BLOOD BANK
Which Lavender top tube test monitors long-term glucose control in diabetic patients?
HGBA1C
What type of tube is specifically designated for drawing discard blood when using a butterfly needle before a coagulation draw?
RED
Which tube contains no additive (if glass) or a clot activator (if plastic) and is often used as a discard tube?
RED
Which panel or test measures red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets using a Lavender tube?
CBC (COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT)
A Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test for syphilis is typically categorized under which type of testing?
SEROLOGY & CHEMISTRY
What do tests like ABGs (Arterial Blood Gases), drawn in a Green top tube, primarily measure?
OXYGEN & CARBON DIOXIDE (assess lung function)
Which tube color is used to determine the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream (where special skin cleansing rules apply)?
GRAY