Quick Collection List

Red Top (Plain w/ no anticoagulant or Purple Top)

Green Top (Na Heparin)

Plastic Tube (Blue Top)

Royal Blue Top (EDTA)

Blue Top (3.8% Sodium Citrate)

Purple Top (EDTA)

Gray Top (K Oxalate/Na Fluoride)

Blue Top with Powder

Maximum Blood Volume that can be drawn on patients under 14 years of age

1. Blood culture tubes
2. Red top/Speckled top tubes (either)
3. Blue top tubes
4. Purple and green top tubes (either)

Contamination:
Non-additive tubes are drawn before additive tubes to avoid contamination with the additive. Cross-contamination between different additive tubes can also occur, resulting in erroneous test values.

Additive-Containing Tubes: Even for tubes with additives, there is a recommended "order of draw" to avoid cross-contamination. This is as follows:

1. Blue tope tubes (either)
2. Green top tubes (Heparin
3. Purple top tubes (EDTA)
4. Gray top tubes (K Oxalate/NA Fluoride)

Coagulation:
If a blue-top (3.8% sodium citrate) tube for coagulation testing is the first tube to be drawn, a 5-ml (2 to 5 ml for pediatric patients) discard tube should be filled prior in order to eliminate possible thromboplastin contamination from the site of the venipuncture.