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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