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Shop Blood Collection Tubes for safe, sterile, and efficient blood sample collection in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Designed for accurate diagnostics, these tubes support serum, plasma, and whole blood testing while ensuring contamination prevention and specimen integrity. Ideal for phlebotomy and laboratory analysis, our blood collection tubes guarantee fast labeling, optimal sample preservation, and infection control. Choose trusted tubes for dependable results and superior patient care every time.
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EDTA Blood Collection Tubes with K2 EDTA additive are used primarily for hematology tests. The K2 EDTA acts as an anticoagulant by binding calcium ...
View full detailsShop Blood Collection Tubes for safe, sterile, and efficient blood sample collection in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Designed for accurate diagnostics, these tubes support serum, plasma, and whole blood testing while ensuring contamination prevention and specimen integrity. Ideal for phlebotomy and laboratory analysis, our blood collection tubes guarantee fast labeling, optimal sample preservation, and infection control. Choose trusted tubes for dependable results and superior patient care every time.
Blood collection tubes are sterile, color-coded tubes designed for safe, accurate blood draws and laboratory testing. Each tube contains specific additives (or none) optimized for particular blood tests, minimizing errors, maintaining specimen integrity, and supporting fast, dependable diagnosis.
Blood Culture (Yellow/SPS) Light Blue Top (Citrate) Red Top (No additive/Clot activator) Gold/Tiger Top (SST – Serum Separator Tube) Green Top (Heparin) Lavender/Purple Top (EDTA) Gray Top (Fluoride/Glucose)
Yellow (SPS): Blood cultures Light Blue: PT, PTT, coagulation studies Red: Serum, chemistry, serology, blood bank Gold/Tiger Top: Chemistries, immunology, viral testing Green: Plasma chemistry (electrolytes, troponin, ammonia) Lavender/Purple: CBC, Hgb A1c, blood typing, ESR, hematology Gray: Glucose, lactate
EDTA tubes Citrate tubes Heparin tubes Serum separator tubes (SST) No additive tubes (Plain Red) Sodium fluoride/potassium oxalate tubes (Gray) Blood culture bottles Clot activator tubes (Orange)
Red top tube (plain, no additive) or Pink top tube (EDTA) are often used for blood bank testing and crossmatching.
EDTA (Lavender/Purple top tube): Used for CBC (Complete Blood Count), Hgb A1c, ESR, blood typing, hemoglobin, and hematology studies because EDTA prevents clotting.
Incorrect order of draw Hemolysis from rough handling Under- or over-filling tubes Using expired tubes Improper labeling Insufficient mixing or invert count Wrong tube type for test
Tube tops are color-coded to identify the additive inside, preventing errors and ensuring sample integrity for specific test requirements.
CBC, ESR, Hgb A1c: Lavender/Purple top (EDTA) CMP, BMP, TSH, T4, Chemistry: Gold/Tiger or Green top Coagulation (PT, PTT): Light Blue top Blood Bank (Type & Screen): Red or Pink top Glucose, Lactate: Gray top
Glucose Calcium Sodium Potassium Chloride CO2 (carbon dioxide) BUN (blood urea nitrogen) Creatinine Albumin Total protein ALP (alkaline phosphatase) ALT (alanine aminotransferase) AST (aspartate aminotransferase) Bilirubin (total)
CBC: Lavender/Purple top (EDTA) BMP: Gold/Tiger top (SST) or Green top (Heparin)
Gold top (SST/serum separator tube) is standard for CMP; green top can also be used for plasma samples.
Lavender/Purple top (EDTA)
Gold/Tiger top (SST) or Red top for thyroid function testing.
See "What are the 14 blood tests?" above; CMP includes electrolytes, kidney and liver markers, proteins, and glucose.
Light Blue top (Sodium citrate) is used for PT (Prothrombin Time) and other coagulation tests.
FDA & CE approved, sterile, single-use tubes Color-coded tops for zero-error draws Reliable preservation and separation of blood components Leak-proof, shatter-resistant construction Compatible with all standard blood draw systems Used by major hospitals, laboratories, and clinics worldwide
| Tube Type | Stopper Colour | Additive | Primary Tests | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SST (Serum Separator) | Gold / Red | Clot activator + gel | CMP, lipids, thyroid, hormones | Allow 30 min clot time before centrifuge |
| EDTA Tube | Lavender / Purple | K2 or K3 EDTA | CBC, HbA1c, haematology | Mix 8–10 times; do not overfill |
| Coagulation Tube | Blue | 3.2% sodium citrate | PT/INR, aPTT, fibrinogen | Fill to line — underfill invalidates the result |
| Lithium Heparin Tube | Green | Lithium heparin | BMP, LFTs, plasma chemistry | Mix immediately; heparin inhibits PCR |
| Blood Bank Hold Tube (Pink) | Pink | K2 EDTA | Type & screen, cross-match | Two-ID labelling at bedside — AABB standard |
| Plasma Preparation Tube (PPT) | Light Blue / Pearl | Citrate + gel separator | PRP, plasma isolation | Preferred for aesthetic PRP procedures |
| CPT Tube | Light blue (BD) | Sodium citrate + Ficoll | Mononuclear cell isolation | Specialised centrifugation protocol required |
| Fluoride / Oxalate Tube | Grey | Sodium fluoride + potassium oxalate | Glucose, lactate | Glycolysis inhibitor — not for haematology |
This product is intended for use by qualified healthcare professionals or under the guidance of a licensed medical provider. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
The content on this page — including tube colour charts, order of draw guidance, additive-to-test matching information, and clinical application references — is provided for general professional reference purposes only. It is intended for use by qualified healthcare professionals, licensed phlebotomists, and certified laboratory personnel.
This content does not constitute medical advice, clinical protocol, or institutional laboratory policy. All tube selection decisions should be validated against your facility's current laboratory procedures, manufacturer product inserts, and applicable CLSI, AABB, or institutional guidelines in effect at the time of use.
Mountainside Medical Equipment is a wholesale supplier of medical supplies and equipment. Specific regulatory clearances, manufacturer certifications, and product-level compliance data: not specified in the provided data. Confirm product-specific regulatory standing directly with the relevant manufacturer prior to clinical use.
Products sold by Mountainside Medical Equipment are intended for use by or under the direction of a licensed medical professional. They are not intended for use by the general public and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
The CLSI-recommended order of draw (H3-A6) is: (1) blood culture bottles, (2) sodium citrate coagulation tubes (blue top), (3) serum tubes with or without clot activator and gel (red or gold top), (4) heparin tubes (green top), (5) EDTA tubes (lavender or pink top), (6) fluoride/oxalate tubes (grey top). Following this sequence prevents additive carryover between tubes, which can cause clinically significant interference with laboratory results.
The CMP tube is a gold-top or red-top SST (serum separator tube) containing a clot activator and gel separator. Blood is allowed to clot for approximately 30 minutes before centrifugation, which separates serum from cells for chemistry analysis. The CMP tube is one of the most commonly drawn tubes in routine outpatient and inpatient laboratory panels.
A blood bank hold tube is a pink-top EDTA tube designated for pre-transfusion testing procedures — including type and screen, ABO/Rh typing, antibody identification, and cross-matching. Per AABB standards, these tubes must be labelled with two independent patient identifiers at the bedside immediately after collection to prevent transfusion-related identification errors. A standard lavender-top EDTA tube is not an acceptable substitute in most blood bank protocols.
Both are anticoagulant tubes, but they serve different purposes. A lithium heparin tube (green top) inhibits thrombin and is used for plasma chemistry panels such as BMP and liver function tests. An EDTA tube (lavender or pink top) chelates calcium to prevent coagulation and is used for haematology panels including CBC and HbA1c. Heparin inhibits PCR-based molecular assays, so EDTA tubes must be used for molecular and blood bank testing.
For PRP (platelet-rich plasma) procedures, plasma preparation tubes (PPT) are the preferred choice. These tubes use a citrate-based anticoagulant and a gel separator that isolates the platelet-rich buffy coat layer during centrifugation. Standard EDTA or lithium heparin tubes are not equivalent substitutes — the anticoagulant type and gel formulation directly influence platelet concentration, activation state, and growth factor yield in the final PRP product.
The green top tube contains either sodium heparin or lithium heparin as its additive. Heparin works by activating antithrombin III, which inhibits thrombin and several other clotting factors, preventing the specimen from clotting. This preserves the sample in its plasma state rather than allowing serum separation. Lithium heparin is the most common formulation because lithium does not interfere with electrolyte measurements the way sodium heparin would.
A microtainer tube is a small-volume collection tube designed for capillary blood collection (fingerstick or heelstick) or low-volume venous draws. BD Microtainer tubes are available in multiple additive formats — EDTA, lithium heparin, and serum — mirroring the full-size Vacutainer chemistry in a reduced volume. They are most commonly used in neonatal units, paediatric clinics, and point-of-care settings where standard-volume venipuncture is not appropriate.
Blue top coagulation tubes contain 3.2% buffered sodium citrate and are formulated to achieve a precise 9:1 ratio of blood to anticoagulant. Underfilling the tube dilutes the specimen with excess anticoagulant, artificially prolonging PT and aPTT results. Overfilling reduces the anticoagulant concentration and can produce falsely shortened coagulation times. Correct fill volume is one of the most commonly cited sources of pre-analytical error in coagulation testing.
Shop Premium Blood Collection Tubes for Hospitals, Labs, and Clinics – Sterile, Color-Coded, and Trusted Worldwide for Reliable Diagnostic Testing and Phlebotomy.
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