Upgrades Of Blood Tubes
Tubes made from plastic are now used more commonly in health care settings. Different additives are added to the tubes to improve the quality of the specimen. These “additives” are not anticoagulants or preservatives but are used to improve specimen quality or to accelerate specimen processing. These tubes have a red stopper, red/black stopper, or gold stopper , depending on the manufacturer. The glass surface of a glass tube for serum testing will activate clot formation in the tube. Some glass serum tubes have a clot activator added to speed the clotting process. A plastic tube will not activate a clot therefore a clot activator must be added to each tube during manufacture. This clot activator consists of silica particles on the sides of the tubes that initiate the clotting process.
Serum and plasma tubes can also be purchased with a thixotropic separator gel. This gel is and inert material that undergoes a temporary change in viscosity during centrifugation. It has a density that is intermediate to cells/clot and plasma/serum. When centrifuged, the gel moves up the side of the tube and engulfs the cells/clot, and an interface of gel forms that separates the cells/clot from the plasma/serum.
Also, all blood tubes have a draw line on the tube, but the blue tube must be a full draw. |
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Order Of Blood Draw Tubes And Additives
3/19/2019
Blood 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.
Order Of Draw Acronym
Sometimes the trick to remembering a lot of information is to create an acronym.
This helps break the information down into easy to remember chunks, with just enough info in each chunk to help you remember the bigger picture.
Acronyms are not set in stone, and you can create your own acronym to help you easily remember the order of blood draw.
Below is a simple and easy to remember acronym you can put to use right away. This will help you remember the blood draw order along with the tube color when performing venipuncture.
The acronym is Boys Love Ravishing Girls Like Dieters Love Greek Yogurt!
Boys Blood Culture
Feel free to switch it up to make it easy to remember for YOU.
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Why Do You Use An Order Of Draw
The most current Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines recommends a single Order of Draw, whether using a multisample, evacuated tube system or drawing with a syringe. The Order of Draw is designed to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination that may result in erroneous results.
What Is The Correct Order Of Blood Draw Tubes

The correct order of blood tubes- Evidence of the need for a specific order in which blood collection tubes should be filled was first published over 30 years ago, but the concept remains elusive for many healthcare professionals with sampling tasks. Evidence of the need for a specific order in which blood collection tubes should be filled was first published over 30 years ago, but the concept remains elusive for many healthcare professionals with sampling tasks. Effects of using smaller volume, lower-volume blood collection tubes on hemolysis in emergency room blood samples. Evidence of the need for a specific order in which blood collection tubes should be filled was first published over 30 years ago, but the concept remains elusive for many healthcare professionals with sampling tasks.
Blood samples must be taken by phlebotomists in a specific order to avoid cross-contamination of the sample with additives in different collection tubes. Needles are available for evacuated systems and for use with a syringe, single-pull, or butterfly system.
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Why Is There An Order Of Draw In Phlebotomy
Blood 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.
What is the order of draw for ETS?
Standard order of draw: BLOOD CULTURES, royal blue, red, light blue, SST , green, tan, yellow, pink, pearl, lavender. If a coag tube is the only tube or the first tube to be drawn, a 5 mL discard tube must be drawn first. or incubation conditions.
Knowing The Order Of Draw
The order of draw is an order of tubes phlebotomist should follow to prevent testing complications and cross-contamination of additives. The order of draw is Yellow, Light Blue, Red, Light Green, Dark Green, Lavender, and Gray. Way to remember this is by the saying Your brother Robert gives lovely gifts.
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Blood Tube Recognition: Order Of Draw
This page provides health professionals with the recommended order of draw when collecting and using blood tube. Reference source for this is Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute H3A6.
When filling evacuated tube from a syringe, please use the blood transfer device. Gently invert tubes 6-8 times to ensure adequate mixing.
Microtainers are not suitable for all tests due to the small volume. For additional information refer to the pathology test list.
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Optimal recovery of microorganisms from blood is dependent on culturing adequate sample volume.
M/C/S
1 x yellow O2 4ml
Adult
1 x green O2 10ml+1 x orange ANO2 10ml
- 2
Paediatric citrate tube requires exactly 1.3mL volume.1.8mL citrate tube must be stored upright.
Which Tube Should Be First In Order To Draw In Phlebotomy
1. Collect citrate tube last, after 20mL of blood has been withdrawn for other testing, or as waste. Just prior to drawing the blue top tube as the last tube, draw 1mL into a discard blue top tube to prevent cross contamination from the additive of previously drawn tubes. 2.
Why is the order of draw important in phlebotomy?
The order of draw is recommended for both glass and plastic venous collections tubes when drawing multiple specimens for medical laboratory testing during a single venipuncture. The purpose is to avoid possible test result error due to additive carryover. All additive tubes should be filled to their stated volumes.
What color order do you draw blood?
Order Of Draw Quiz
Gold SST |
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Order Of Draw For Blood Tubes
Note: The order of draw may be a little different, in some hospital settings, as the black top tube, may or may not be used.
Tubes | ||
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PT,PTT, APTT – All Coagulation Studies |
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Electrolyte, Lipid Panel, Hepatic Function, Digoxin, Bilirubin, HCG |
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Green |
Sodium Heparin or Lithium Heparin |
Ammonia Level |
CBC, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, ESR – Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate |
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Gray |
Potassium Oxalate, Sodium Fluoride |
All Glucose Studies – Anticoagulant |
Tiger Top Tube/Gold Tube Can be used as Red Tube. This tube is spun around in the centrifuge.
How Do You Remember The Order Of Phlebotomy
Its a great way to remember the Order of drawing because you can change the sentence to be most helpful to you. Unfortunately, this process can be pretty confusing and often hard to remember for entry-level phlebotomists or people who are in phlebotomy training. Because of the many colored blood collection tubes, it can often be difficult to remember the correct sequence. Luckily, weve put together a simple diagram, a reminder, and an infographic so that phlebotomists can easily remember the correct order.
This fact creates a natural connection that makes it possible to immediately remember the necessary facts about the blood collection process.
References:
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What Is The Correct Order Of Draw When Using Multiple Evacuated Tubes
Standard order of draw: BLOOD CULTURES, royal blue, red, light blue, SST , green, tan, yellow, pink, pearl, lavender. If a coag tube is the only tube or the first tube to be drawn, a 5 mL discard tube must be drawn first. or incubation conditions.
What is an appropriate order of draw for multiple blood sampling tubes?
The recommended order of draw for plastic collection tubes is:
- First blood culture bottle or tube
- Second coagulation tube .
- Third non-additive tube
- Last draw additive tubes in this order:
What is the order of draw for Microcollection tubes?
For both glass and plastic microcollection tubes during a single capillary puncture, the order of the blood draw is as follows:
- Capillary blood gas
How Do You Draw Blood Successfully

Grab the patients lower arm firmly to draw the skin taut and anchor the vein from rolling. Insert the needle at a 15 to 30-degree angle into the vessel. If properly inserted, blood should flash into the catheter.
What is the order of draw acronym?
Below is a simple and easy to remember acronym you can put to use right away. This will help you remember the blood draw order along with the tube color when performing venipuncture. The acronym is Boys Love Ravishing Girls Like Dieters Love Greek Yogurt! Boys Blood Culture. Love Light Blue.
Which is the correct order of blood draw?
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: Blood culture tube or bottle. Sodium citrate tube Serum tubes, including those with clot activator and gels
What kind of tube is Stat electrolytes drawn in?
What tube is stat electrolytes drawn in? that would be the Green Top Tube that contains sodium heparin this tube also is to draw ammonia. Q: What tube is stat electrolytes drawn in?
Is the same order used for glass and plastic blood collection tubes?
The same order is used for glass and plastic venous blood collection tubes, evacuated system and a syringe. There used to be a separate order for blood collected using a syringe, but it has been rendered obsolete as research showed there was no reason to use a different order.
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Negligible Importance Of The Order Of Draw
Seven articles stated the negligible importance of the order of draw: 5 observational studies, 1 in vitro study, and 1 both in vitro and observational study.
In the study conducted by Indevuyst et al. , 193 patients receiving oral anticoagulation were tested to investigate the importance of the order of filling blood tubes. The citrate-containing tubes were collected like the first tube, before and after an EDTA, heparin, or serum tube with clot activator. At the end of their study, no statistically significant influence on PT-INR and aPPT values was detected when blood was drawn after the heparin-containing tube. There was a contained, but statistically significant, bias on the aPTT when the citrate tube was collected as the first, after EDTA and after the clot-activator-containing tube. However, considering the small bias and the negligible effect on the patients clinical progression, the authors assert that the order of draw has no significant influence on clot values .
In their observational study, Cornes et al. investigated the levels of serum potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, and serum EDTA from a Becton Dickinson Sterile Sealed Tube II gel-containing tube collected before and after an EDTA-containing tube in 11 healthy volunteers using the closed blood collection system. The results showed no evidence to support the efficacy of the order of draw to prevent cross-contamination when closed blood collection is used .
Whats The Order Of Draw For Blood Collection
Order of Draw of Blood Collection Tubes. The procedure follows guidelines set forth by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute in order to insure that quality specimens are collected for laboratory testing. All plastic tubes must be gently inverted 5-10 times to provide thorough mixing of the additives.
Why is the culture tube at the top of the Order of draw?
Blood culture tubes are usually at the top of the order of draw to avoid contamination of the blood collected. This is because bacteria from non-sterile tube stoppers or shields may result in bacteria growth, which will show in the test result as a blood infection.
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P009a4 Order Of Draw Blood Collection Tubes
Correct order of draw. B. All tubes must be gently inverted 8 10 times to provide thorough mixing of additives. C. Shaking the tube vigorously may cause hemolysis of the blood . II. Order of Draw for Vacutainer Collection Tubes 1. Blood Culture Bottles Used for bacterial and fungal cultures. Must be drawn
Uwhealth.org
Order Of Draw Bracelet
If the mnemonic device is not working, you may have heard of another option of buying an order of draw phlebotomy bracelet or other wearable. However, we do not recommend or encourage buying the order of draw phlebotomy bracelets because the OOD is something you need to know without relying on a bracelet.
As a licensed phlebotomist, it is not only important to know the order of blood drawing but also the correct procedure and standard for drawing that blood. At PhlebotomyU, we value education because we want to provide hospitals, facilities, and laboratories with the best CPT-1 phlebotomy graduates. Our program not only provides teaching in the classroom but also real-time experience in the field. We offer abbreviated classes, weekday and weekend phlebotomy training from 5 to 9 weeks. At end of training, students have hours of hands on experience making it easy to go fromPhlebotomyU to a full time job.
Sign up for a phlebotomy course today!
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Phlebotomy Order Of Draw
As you may already know, blood must be drawn and collected in tubes in a specific order, known as the Order of Draw.
This is necessary to avoid cross-contamination of additives between the tubes.
Unfortunately, this order can be hard to remember for those in training and even those in the field.
Weve recognized this and created a handy guide using multiple proven study techniques.
*Tip: Bookmark this page for future reference by pinning it as an image!
Everybody effectively learns and remembers in different ways. So, we designed several learning tools below to help you learn the proper order of draw and easily remember it in the field.
*Tip: If you’re looking for a pocket-sized guide to carry around with you in the field that gives you quick access to the Order of Draw and other vital information then you have to check out the best-selling Phlebotomy Notes: Pocket Guide To Blood Collection.
Order Of Draw Of Blood Collection Tube
Vacuum blood collection tubes are widely used in hospital and clinic, but not everyone knows the correct sequence blood collection tubes order of draw. The order of blood collection, depends on blood collection tube colors and tests, Below let we show the blood collection tube color guide for you.
Blood collection tubes must be drawn in a specific order to avoid cross-contamination of additives between tubes. The recommended order of draw for plastic vacutainer blood collection tubes are:
First blood culture bottle or tube
Second coagulation tube .
Last draw additive tubes in this order:
SST . Contains a gel separator and clot activator.
Sodium heparin
EDTA Glucose , Oxalate/fluoride or other additivesNOTE: Tubes with additives must be thoroughly mixed. Clotting or erroneous test results may be obtained when the blood is not thoroughly mixed with the additive.You may ask why we need follow this sequences. Please at the same time see blood collection tubes and tests chart.
1. Blood cultures should always be drawn first to reduce the potential hazard bacterial, fungal, quantitative, CMV and/or other specimen contamination. Blood culture vials and tubes:
Blue, Purple culture vials contain enriched Soybean-Casin broth with CO2 and are used for bacterial and fungal blood cultures.
Yellow stopper tubes contain nutrient solution and Black stopper Isolator tubes contain a blood lysis solution.
Tubes with additives:
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Order To Draw Blood Tubes
Order To Draw Blood Tubes. It is very important to collect the proper lab tubes in their specified order due to the potential risk of skewed or affected results. 20/08/2018 page 1 of 3 last reviewed:
The order of draw is based on clsi procedures and devices for the collection of capillary blood specimens For needle and syringe order of draw refer to prompt document. Tube guide recommended order of draw in accordance with npaac guidelines collectors must sign all blood tube labels.
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Specimen labeling requirements all specimens submitted to the laboratory must be individually labeled. 31/01/2024 collect the blood into the containers in the order listed below for evacuated systems.
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Unfortunately, this order can be hard to remember for those in training and even those in the field. Contains a silicone serum separator and is used for tests requ.
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Today on the rn educator we are talking laboratory tubes, the specific order in which you draw them and some common tests that you can run with each lab tube. 1.) blood cultures sps 2.) light blue 3.)
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Last thing you want to do is have to redraw a sample . If just a routine coagulation assay is the only test ordered, then a single light blue top.
Source: goodrawing.blogspot.com
Blood tube guide & order of draw reference chart implementation tool prompt doc no: Patients full legal name second.
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