What is the white stuff at the bottom of a blood vial?

Usually you will see a powder substance at the bottom of each vial. It is an anti-coagulant to prevent the blood clotting. Clotting will affect the results of blood tests, so this substance is added to prevent that from happening.

What is the yellow stuff at the bottom of blood vials?

When a tube is centrifuged, the materials within are separated by density, with the blood cells sinking to the bottom and the plasma or serum accumulating at the top….Types of tubes.

Tube cap color or type	Additive	Usage and comments
Yellow	Acid-citrate-dextrose A (anticoagulant)	Tissue typing, DNA studies, HIV cultures

Why is there gel in blood tubes?

Blood sample tubes that contain a separating gel are often used to obtain blood serum for laboratory tests. The gel then serves as a barrier to diffusion, preventing contamination of the serum with cellular components.

What is the liquid in a blood test tube?

Plasma. Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood obtained after centrifuging specimens collected in tubes containing an anticoagulant.

What blood tube colors are for which test?

The tests each bottle is used for are the same: the purple one is for cell count, the yellow one is for electrolytes, albumin and LDH, the grey one is for glucose, and blood culture bottles can be used for fluid cultures.

Why is there white stuff in my blood?

White blood cells and platelets may clump together to form a cellular aggregate. They may appear white or opaque and do not disperse when the container is rotated or shaken. Visible white particles composed of lipid or fat material may also appear in blood samples in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

What do the colored blood vials mean?

Each color relates to unique additives that are in the tube. Red: Contain NO anticoagulants, used for serum testing. Gold: Contains a clot activator and special gel to separate serum from the cells. Purple: Contains a clot blocker and are used for complete blood count(CBC). Green & Light Blue: Used for plasma testing.

What are yellow stopper tubes used for?

PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES

STOPPER COLOR	CONTENTS	USES/COMMENTS
Green	Sodium heparin(100 USP Units)	Ammonia, Lactate, HLA Typing
Tan	K2 EDTA	Lead levels
Yellow	ACD Solution A consists of trisodium citrate, citric acid and dextrose	DNA Studies, HIV Cultures
Pink	(K2)EDTA	Blood type & Screen, Compatibility Study, Direct Coombs HIV Viral Load

What color is a gel tube?

Blood Collection Tubes

Tube cap color	Additive
Red or gold (mottled or “tiger” top used with some tubes)	Serum tube with or without clot activator or gel
Green	Sodium or lithium heparin with or without gel
Lavender or pink	Potassium EDTA
Gray	Sodium fluoride, and sodium or potassium oxalate

What color is a serum separator tube?

PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES

STOPPER COLOR	CONTENTS	VOL.
Gold Top (Serum Separator, “SST”)	Contains separating gel and clot activator	6.0 mL
Light Blue – Yellow Label on Tube	Thrombin	2.0 mL
Green	Sodium heparin(100 USP Units)	5.0 mL
Tan	K2 EDTA	5.0 mL

What color tubes are used for which tests in phlebotomy?