![]() ![]() The tube is known as SST (serum separating tube) because it contains two additives that separate the serum from the blood's cellular components. It is used for a whole variety of biochemistry tests ranging from urea & electrolytes to lipid profiles. The gold top, also known as the ‘yellow’ top, is one of the most commonly used blood bottles. The gold (or ‘yellow’) top is used for a wide range of biochemistry tests. In this situation, you may need to use a different blood bottle first. If you are getting repeated ‘underfilled’ results for coagulation it may be that the vacutainer mechanism is drawing in the initial air from the venepuncture butterfly kit during phlebotomy. Activated partial thromboplastin ratio (APTR): to monitor intravenous heparin. ![]() Prothrombin time (PT): assessment of ‘extrinsic’ pathway.Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT): assessment of ‘intrinsic’ pathway.International normalised ratio (INR): international standard for PT.A common problem is the test being ‘underfilled’. Importantly, this blood bottle needs to be filled exactly to the premarked line on the bottle to enable coagulation tests to be run by the lab. This is why you may get temporary hypocalcaemia following transfusion. This same additive is added to blood transfusion products to prevent clotting. Therefore, binding causes a reversible anticoagulant effect. It contains the additive sodium citrate, which is able to bind to calcium ions that are needed in the clotting cascade. The light blue (or just ‘blue’) bottle is important for the assessment of the coagulation system. The light blue top is important for assessing coagulation and the clotting system. However, in reality, the order is often random. Therefore, it aims to prevent cross-contamination. ![]() An order is needed because an additive from one tube can be passed to another after piercing the tube with the vacutainer mechanism. This refers to the specific order in which blood bottles should be taken according to the coloured top. This enables a specific amount of blood to be drawn into the tube. Vacutainersīlood bottles are usually vacutainer tubes that contain a rubber stopper, which creates a vacuum seal inside. Inverting the tube after a blood draw helps to mix the blood with the additive to have its desired effect. AdditivesĪdditives in blood bottles aim to accelerate blood clotting (clot activator) or prevent blood clotting (anticoagulant) to enable specific tests to be run. Despite this, some tests are pretty universal within healthcare (e.g. This is why you may find a specific test is run in two different coloured bottles between hospital trusts. The colours of each bottle (or tube!) are specific to the manufacturer and therefore may differ between hospital trusts and GP practices. Blood bottle characteristicsĮach blood bottle can be characterised by: Occasionally, when the test is specialist or there is ‘computer downtime’ knowledge of the appropriate blood bottle is required, but you can always ask! We outline a practical guide to the use of blood bottles and what actually differentiates them. The required blood bottle on these labels is differentiated by the coloured top (e.g. This process automatically assigns a test to a blood bottle and reduces the need to handwrite patient information. In modern medicine, most hospitals and GP practices are set up with computer software that automatically prints blood labels following a request. We give a practical guide to the use of blood bottles in clinical practice. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |