What is the proper order of draw for blood collection?

The proper order of draw for blood collection is essential to avoid cross-contamination of additives present in the different tubes, which can lead to inaccurate lab results. The correct choice outlines the sequence recommended by clinical guidelines and is designed to ensure the integrity of the samples collected.

Starting with blood cultures at the top of the list is crucial because this step ensures that any microorganisms present in the bloodstream can be accurately identified without contamination from other tubes, which might contain additives that could inhibit bacterial growth.

Following blood cultures, the light blue tube is next, which is used for coagulation tests and contains sodium citrate as an anticoagulant. This tube must be drawn before any other tubes with additives to minimize contamination.

The red tube follows, which is typically a serum tube and is devoid of any anticoagulant. Drawing this next allows for the separation of serum after clotting, which wouldn’t be affected by previous additives.

The gold tube, or serum separator tube (SST), after the red, continues in the order as it also collects serum but includes a gel separator that facilitates the separation of serum from the clot.

Next, green tubes, which contain heparin as an anticoagulant for certain plasma tests, are drawn, followed by the lavender tube commonly