Phlebotomy Order of Draw Study (NHCO
July 2024-2025)
Lab responsible for blood cultures? - answer Microbiology
Additive in blood cultures? - answer Sodium polyanthuses sulfonate- SPS (Nutrient
Broth)
How and what do you clean for blood culture? – answer ChloraPrep (not alc) at injection
site and wipe down the tops of collection bottles
What order do you fill blood culture bottles? - answer Aerobic first and then anaerobic
(butterfly tubing contains air, hence why aerobic is first)
What does STAT mean? - answer Test must be carried out immediately
T/F) Blood cultures are usually ordered STAT or as timed specimens - answer True
What is the purpose of sodium polyanethole sulfonate (SPS)? - answer To promote
rapid growth of pathogenic/infectious microorganisms in a blood sample (for
identification)- blood culture bottles
What tubes come before and after blood cultures? - answerNo tubes before, discard
tube after (clear or glass red top).
What needle should you use for a blood culture? - answerUse a winged infusion set
(butterfly) to prevent nutrient broth introduction to blood stream (may differ by employer)
Which red top tube (glass/plastic) do you use as a discard? - answerGlass (glass red
tops contain no additives)
What is a discard tube used for? - answerUsed to prevent thrombin and other cells from
polluting the samples drawn in following tubes.
What tubes come before and after a discard tube? - answerBlood culture bottles before,
light blue top tube after
What tubes come before and after a light blue top? - answerDiscard tube before (clear,
red glass), royal blue with red stripe after
T/F) the royal blue with red stripe tube has no additives - answerTrue
, Does the royal blue red stripe tube yield serum or plasma? - answerSerum
What is the difference between a glass red top tube (no additive) and a royal blue red
stripe tube? - answerThe royal blue red stripe tube contains no nickel
What is the difference between a purple top tube and a royal blue lavender/blue stripe
tube? - answerThe royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube contains no nickel
What 2 tests are royal blue tubes used for? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answerLead (Pb) poisoning, Heavy metal toxicology
Lab responsible for royal blue tubes? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answerToxicology
How many times should you invert royal blue tube? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answer8 times (but you will invert all tubes 8-10 times)
What tubes come before and after royal blue red stripe tube? - answerLight blue before,
plastic red top after
What tubes come before and after royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? -
answerLavender before, grey after
Lab responsible for light blue top tube? - answerCoagulation (or Hematology if a smaller
facility)
Additive in light blue tube? What does it do? - answerSodium citrate- anticoagulant
(prevents blood from coagulating and using up coagulation factors before reaching the
lab)
How does sodium citrate work? - answerSodium citrate prevents coagulation by binding
to the calcium in a specimen. This preserves the specimens coagulation factors.
How much should you fill the light blue tube top? And why? - answerAll the way!
Sodium citrate requires a very specific blood to additive ratio (9 pets blood to 1 part
additive). There is a fill line on the tube
How much do you invert light blue tube? - answer3-4 times (but you will invert all
samples 8-10 times)
Does the light blue top tube yield serum or plasma? - answerPlasma
What must you do BEFORE collecting a light blue top tube? - answerYou must draw a
discard tube. This prevents thromboplastin from entering the light blue tube.
July 2024-2025)
Lab responsible for blood cultures? - answer Microbiology
Additive in blood cultures? - answer Sodium polyanthuses sulfonate- SPS (Nutrient
Broth)
How and what do you clean for blood culture? – answer ChloraPrep (not alc) at injection
site and wipe down the tops of collection bottles
What order do you fill blood culture bottles? - answer Aerobic first and then anaerobic
(butterfly tubing contains air, hence why aerobic is first)
What does STAT mean? - answer Test must be carried out immediately
T/F) Blood cultures are usually ordered STAT or as timed specimens - answer True
What is the purpose of sodium polyanethole sulfonate (SPS)? - answer To promote
rapid growth of pathogenic/infectious microorganisms in a blood sample (for
identification)- blood culture bottles
What tubes come before and after blood cultures? - answerNo tubes before, discard
tube after (clear or glass red top).
What needle should you use for a blood culture? - answerUse a winged infusion set
(butterfly) to prevent nutrient broth introduction to blood stream (may differ by employer)
Which red top tube (glass/plastic) do you use as a discard? - answerGlass (glass red
tops contain no additives)
What is a discard tube used for? - answerUsed to prevent thrombin and other cells from
polluting the samples drawn in following tubes.
What tubes come before and after a discard tube? - answerBlood culture bottles before,
light blue top tube after
What tubes come before and after a light blue top? - answerDiscard tube before (clear,
red glass), royal blue with red stripe after
T/F) the royal blue with red stripe tube has no additives - answerTrue
, Does the royal blue red stripe tube yield serum or plasma? - answerSerum
What is the difference between a glass red top tube (no additive) and a royal blue red
stripe tube? - answerThe royal blue red stripe tube contains no nickel
What is the difference between a purple top tube and a royal blue lavender/blue stripe
tube? - answerThe royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube contains no nickel
What 2 tests are royal blue tubes used for? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answerLead (Pb) poisoning, Heavy metal toxicology
Lab responsible for royal blue tubes? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answerToxicology
How many times should you invert royal blue tube? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
answer8 times (but you will invert all tubes 8-10 times)
What tubes come before and after royal blue red stripe tube? - answerLight blue before,
plastic red top after
What tubes come before and after royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? -
answerLavender before, grey after
Lab responsible for light blue top tube? - answerCoagulation (or Hematology if a smaller
facility)
Additive in light blue tube? What does it do? - answerSodium citrate- anticoagulant
(prevents blood from coagulating and using up coagulation factors before reaching the
lab)
How does sodium citrate work? - answerSodium citrate prevents coagulation by binding
to the calcium in a specimen. This preserves the specimens coagulation factors.
How much should you fill the light blue tube top? And why? - answerAll the way!
Sodium citrate requires a very specific blood to additive ratio (9 pets blood to 1 part
additive). There is a fill line on the tube
How much do you invert light blue tube? - answer3-4 times (but you will invert all
samples 8-10 times)
Does the light blue top tube yield serum or plasma? - answerPlasma
What must you do BEFORE collecting a light blue top tube? - answerYou must draw a
discard tube. This prevents thromboplastin from entering the light blue tube.
