Different Colors of Vacutainer Blood Collection Tube

by Content Design / inBlood Collection Tubes, Blood Collection Tubes and Tests, Classification, Purpose & Uses, Vacutainer,

Have you ever wondered what is so special about the tube used to collect your blood in a blood test? And why is it colored different? They are special vacuum sealed tubes called vacutainers.

Vacutainer blood collection tubes are rubber stoppered, sterile glass tubes used to draw a preset volume of fluid or blood. They are classified based on the additive inside the tube and the purpose of the tube, using different colours.

 

Type of Tubes: 


1) Plain Red:
- Additive: No additive
- Use: Total serum complement activity

2) Light Blue:
- Additive: Sodium Citrate (Anti-Coagulant) 
- Use: Coagulation tests like prothrombin time, thrombin time, partial thromboplastin time

3) Dark Green: 
- Additive: Sodium Heparin (Anti-Coagulant)
- Use: Chromosome testing, HLA typing, ammonia, lactate

4) Yellow:
- Additive: Acid-citrate-dextrose A (Anti-Coagulant)
- Use: Tissue Typing, HIV cultures, DNA studies

5) Pink: 
- Additive: EDTA 
- Use: Blood typing, HIV viral load

6) Pearl White: 
- Additive: separating gel and EDTA 
- Use: PCR for adenovirus, toxoplasma

7) Gray: 
- Additive: Sodium Fluoride, Potassium Oxalate 
- Use: Glucose and lactate assay

 

If a wrong tube is used, it can make the blood/fluid unstable for the intended tests. Over time, a blood collection tube expires since the vacuum is lost and the drawing of blood becomes impossible.

Now that you know what kind of vacutainer is used for what purpose, you can choose the appropriate one from a variety of Vacuum Blood Collection Tubes / Vacutainers available on smart medical buyer at the best price.