What is a vacutainer system?

A Vacutainer blood collection tube is a sterile glass or plastic test tube with a colored rubber stopper creating a vacuum seal inside of the tube, facilitating the drawing of a predetermined volume of liquid. Vacutainer is a registered trademark of Becton Dickinson, which manufactures and sells the tubes today.

Also, what are Vacutainers used for?

BD Vacutainer® Heparin Tubes are spray-coated with either lithium heparin or sodium heparin and are used for plasma determinations in chemistry. BD Vacutainer® Fluoride Tubes contain a glycolytic inhibitor and are used for glucose determinations on plasma.

Furthermore, which vacutainer tubes for what tests?

Tube cap color	Additive	Common laboratory tests
Green	Sodium or lithium heparin with or without gel	Stat and routine chemistry
Lavender or pink	Potassium EDTA	Hematology and blood bank
Gray	Sodium fluoride, and sodium or potassium oxalate	Glucose (especially when testing will be delayed), blood alcohol, lactic acid

Furthermore, what is the vacutainer blood collection system?

Vacutainer is a blood collection tube (sterile glass or plastic tube) used to collect blood samples for laboratory testing. These tubes have a closure which is evacuated to create a vacuum inside the tube thereby enabling a predetermined amount of blood to be withdrawn.

How do you perform a venipuncture with the Vacutainer system?

Label the tube with the patient's. particulars.
Put tourniquet on the patient about. 3-4' above the venipuncture site.
Ask patient to form a fist so. veins are more prominent.
After finding the vein, clean the.
Assemble needle and vacuum.
Insert the collection tube into the.
Remove cap from needle.
Use thumb to draw skin tight.

35 Related Question Answers Found

How does a vacutainer work?

When a Vacutainer tube is inserted into the holder, its rubber cap is punctured by the inner needle and the vacuum in the tube pulls blood through the needle and into the tube. Blood collection tubes expire because over time the vacuum is lost and blood will not be drawn into the tube when the needle punctures the cap.

What is the white stuff at the bottom of a blood vial?

Fluoride is a substance that inhibits glycolysis inside the blood cells. This prevents the plasma glucose levels to drop inside the tube due to glycolysis by the cells. The resulting product is plasma that is specifically used for the measurement of glucose.

What is the order of draw?

Order of draw is the tube sequence a certified phlebotomist needs to follow while collecting blood. Each tube is differentiated by the tube additive and color. A trained phlebotomist using the correct order of draw ensures they obtain a quality sample to be used for diagnostic purposes to provide accurate results.

Why is EDTA used in blood samples?

The role of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as in vitro anticoagulant for diagnostic purposes. Historically, EDTA has been recommended as the anticoagulant of choice for hematological testing because it allows the best preservation of cellular components and morphology of blood cells.

What blood tube colors are for which test?

Green top tube with sodium or lithium heparin: used for plasma or whole blood determinations. EDTA tubes: includes Lavender top, Pink top (used for blood bank testing), Tan top (used for lead testing), and Royal Blue top with EDTA (used for trace metal whole blood or plasma determinations).

What is EDTA tube used for?

Lavender-Top Tube - EDTA: EDTA is the anticoagulant used for most hematology procedures. Its primary use is for the CBC and individual components of the CBC. The larger (6ml) tube is used for blood bank procedures.

Are blood collection tubes sterile?

A. Yes, BD Vacutainer blood collection tubes have a sterile interior. Tubes are sterilized by gamma radiation.

What color is a PST tube?

The PST™ Tube

It has a mint green stopper. This tube is only used on patients who are in the hospital. This tube contains lithium heparin to keep the blood from clotting and has a gel plasma separator.

What is a yellow top blood tube for?

Yellow-top tube (ACD): Tube contains acid citrate dextrose as an anticoagulant. This tube is used for the collection of whole blood for special studies. Royal blue-top tube: There are 2 types of tubes; one contains the anticoagulant EDTA and the other does not contain an anticoagulant.

What are the 3 main veins to draw blood?

This area contains the three vessels primarily used by the phlebotomist to obtain venous blood specimens: the median cubital, the cephalic and the basilic veins. Although the veins located in the antecubital area should be considered first for vein selection, there are alternate sites available for venipuncture.

What are the different types of test tubes?

There are several material types of test tubes: glass, plastic, metal and ceramic. Glass and plastic are the most common while metal and ceramic are less common. There are several sub-types of glass and plastic test tubes.

Why are blood samples taken from veins?

A small amount of blood is taken from an artery in your arm with a needle. Arteries run deeper under the skin than veins. For this reason, this test may cause more discomfort than blood tests that use blood from a vein. Also, it is more important to apply pressure after the test than when blood is drawn from a vein.

How do you draw blood?

Infection prevention and control practices.

Assemble equipment.
Identify and prepare the patient.
Select the site.
Perform hand hygiene and put on gloves.
Disinfect the entry site.
Take blood.
Fill the laboratory sample tubes.
Draw samples in the correct order.

How much blood does a vacutainer hold?

-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online. Adult tubes generally hold from 3 to 10 ml of blood. Pediatric tubes usually hold from 2 to 4 ml. Tubes for fingersticks or heelsticks generally hold one half ml or less.

How many types of blood collections are there?

Three popular methods of blood collection are: Arterial sampling. Venipuncture sampling. Fingerstick sampling.

Why does blood stop flowing during a blood draw?

On occasion, blood may stop flowing from the punctured site before the required amount of blood is obtained. This could cause the blood specimen to hemolyze, making the specimen unacceptable for some laboratory tests. Always allow the drop to flow freely into the collection tube.

Can a blood tube holder be used more than once?

prohibits the reuse of holders for contaminated needles, even when they are designed for multiple use. Blood tube holders, as the containers are known, can be single-use or multiple-use.