What is vacuum blood collection tube?
A vacuum 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. Vacuum blood collection tubes may contain additives designed to stabilize and preserve the specimen prior to analytical testing. Tubes are available with a safety-engineered stopper, with a variety of labeling options and draw volumes. The color of the top indicates the different additives in the vial.
The principle of vacuum blood collection tube:
The principle of vacuum blood collection tubes is to pre-pump the blood collection tubes with caps into different vacuum degrees, and use the negative pressure to automatically and quantitatively collect venous blood samples. One end of the blood collection needle is inserted into the human vein, and the other end is inserted into the rubber plug of the vacuum blood collection tube. Human venous blood is inside the vacuum blood collection tube, and under the action of negative pressure, it is drawn into the blood sample container through the blood collection needle. Under one venipuncture, multiple tubes can be collected without leakage. The volume of the inner cavity connected to the blood collection needle is small, and the impact on the blood collection volume can be ignored, but the probability of backflow is relatively small. If the inner cavity volume is large, it will consume part of the vacuum of the blood collection tube, thereby reducing its collection volume.
Types of vacuum blood collection tubes:
As shown in the figure, there are 9 types of vacuum blood collection tubes, which are distinguished according to the color of the cap.
1. Red cap blood collection tube: common serum tube
The blood collection tube does not contain additives, anticoagulant and procoagulant components, only vacuum. It is used for routine serum biochemistry, blood bank, and serology-related tests, and various biochemical and immunological tests, such as syphilis, hepatitis B quantification, etc. It does not need to be shaken after a blood draw. The type of specimen preparation is serum. After blood is drawn, put it in a 37°C water bath for more than 30 minutes, centrifuge, and use the upper serum for later use.
2. Orange cap blood collection tube: rapid serum tube
There is a coagulant in the blood collection tube to speed up the coagulation process. The rapid serum tube can coagulate the collected blood within 5 minutes. It is suitable for emergency serum series tests. It is the most commonly used procoagulant test tube for daily biochemistry, immunity, serum, hormones, etc. After drawing blood, mix it upside down 5-8 times, and store it at room temperature. When it is low, put it in a 37°C water bath for 10-20 minutes, and centrifuge the upper serum for later use.
3. Golden cap blood collection tube: inert separation gel coagulation tube
Inert separation gel and coagulant are added to the blood collection tube. Specimens remain stable for 48 hours after centrifugation. The coagulant can quickly activate the coagulation mechanism and accelerate the coagulation process. The type of specimen preparation is serum, which is suitable for emergency serum biochemical and pharmacokinetic tests. After collection, invert and mix 5-8 times, stand upright for 20-30min, and centrifuge the supernatant for later use.
4. Black cap blood collection tube: sodium citrate erythrocyte sedimentation test tube
The sodium citrate concentration required for the erythrocyte sedimentation test is 3.2% (equivalent to 0.109mol/L), and the ratio of anticoagulant to blood is 1:4. Contains 0.4mL of 3.8% sodium citrate, draw blood to 2.0ml, this is a special test tube for erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the sample type is plasma, suitable for erythrocyte sedimentation rate, immediately after drawing blood, mix it upside down 5-8 times. Shake well before use. The difference between it and the test tube for the coagulation factor test is that the concentration of anticoagulant is different from the ratio of blood, which cannot be confused.
5. Light blue cap blood collection tube: sodium citrate coagulation test tube
Sodium citrate mainly acts as an anticoagulant by chelating calcium ions in blood samples. The ratio of anticoagulant to blood is 1:9. The vacuum blood collection tube contains about 0.2mL of 3.2% sodium citrate anticoagulant, and the blood is collected to 2.0ml. The type of specimen preparation is whole blood or plasma. Immediately after collection, it is inverted and mixed 5-8 times. Suitable for coagulation experiments, PT, APTT, and coagulation factor examination.
6. Green cap blood collection tube: heparin anticoagulant tube
Heparin was added to the blood collection tube. Heparin directly has the effect of antithrombin, which can prolong the clotting time o,f the specimen. It is used and n emergency and most biochemical experiments, such as liver function, kidney function, blood lipid, blood sugar, etc. It is suitable for blood cell fragility tests, blood gas analysis, hematocrit tests, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and general biochemical determination, but not suitable for hemagglutination tests. Excessive heparin can cause aggregation of white blood cells and cannot be used for white blood cell counts. Because it can make the background of the blood film stained light blue, it is not suitable for white blood cell classification. It can be used for blood rheology. The sample type is plasma. Immediately after blood collection, it is inverted and mixed 5-8 times, and the upper layer of plasma is taken for later use.
7. Green cap blood collection tube: plasma separation tube light
Adding heparin lithium anticoagulant in the inert separation hose can achieve the purpose of rapid separation of plasma, which is the best choice for electrolyte detection, and can also be used for routine plasma biochemical determination and emergency plasma biochemical detection in ICU. It is used in emergency and most biochemical experiments, such as liver function, kidney function, blood lipid, blood sugar, etc. Plasma samples can be used directly on the machine and remain stable for 48 hours in a refrigerated state. It can be used for blood rheology. The sample type is plasma. Immediately after blood collection, it is inverted and mixed 5-8 times, and the upper layer of plasma is taken for later use.
8. Gray cap blood collection tube: Potassium oxalate/sodium fluoride
Sodium fluoride is a weak anticoagulant, usually combined with potassium oxalate or sodium etomidate, the ratio is 1 part of sodium fluoride and 3 parts of potassium oxalate. 4 mg of this mixture can prevent 1 ml of blood from coagulating within 23 days and inhibit glycolysis. It cannot be used for the determination of urea by the urease method, nor can it be used for the determination of alkaline phosphatase and amylase. It is recommended for blood sugar detection. Contains sodium fluoride or potassium oxalate or disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA-Na) spray, which can inhibit the activity of enolase in glucose metabolism. After drawing blood, mix it upside down 5-8 times. After centrifugation, take the supernatant It is a special tube for rapid blood sugar determination.
9. Purple cap blood collection tube: EDTA anticoagulation tube
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA, molecular weight 292) and its salts are amino polycarboxylic acids, suitable for general hematology tests, and are the first choice for blood routine, glycosylated hemoglobin, and blood type tests. Not suitable for blood coagulation test and platelet function test, nor for the determination of calcium ions, potassium ions, sodium ions, iron ions, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, and leucine aminopeptidase, suitable for PCR test. Spray 100ml of 2.7% EDTA-K2 solution on the inner wall of the vacuum tube, dry it at 45°C, collect blood to 2mI, immediately invert and mix 5-8 times after blood drawing, mix well, and set aside. The sample type is whole blood, which needs to be mixed before use.
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