Which laboratory area mainly processes samples collected in SST tubes?

The laboratory area primarily responsible for processing samples collected in Serum Separation Tubes (SST) is Chemistry. SST tubes contain a gel separator that allows the blood to clot and the serum to be separated from the cellular components after centrifugation. This separation is crucial in the Chemistry laboratory, where serum is analyzed for various substances such as electrolytes, enzymes, hormones, and metabolites.

The use of SST tubes facilitates the measurement of biochemical markers without the need for additional steps to obtain serum, streamlining the workflow in a Chemistry lab setting. The other areas, such as Hematology, primarily deal with whole blood samples, while Virology and Blood Bank focus on specific tests that do not typically utilize serum samples obtained from SST tubes.