Among the different colour codes, the order of sampling or the additives used, it is not always easy to find your way around when it comes to using the tube for blood sampling.
Indeed, a specific order of use during the blood test is recommended to limit the possible interferences between the anticoagulants.
Moreover, some tubes are similar and suitable for the same types of analysis. The only difference? The presence of a gel. This gel is a preservation gel. It is intended to guarantee the efficiency of the transport of the sample.
Sodium Citrate Tube – 3,2% or 3,8%
Blue plug
Haematology : Platelets (conditionally)
Coagulation : Prothrombin time, Activator Cephalin Time (ACT), Thrombin time, Fibrinogen, PDF, Isolated Coagulation Factors
Dry Tube ( with coagulation activator)
Red plug
Hematology: Blood groupings, Irregular agglutinins
Serology: Cold agglutinins, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious mononucleosis, syphilis, acute articular rheumatism, rubella, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), complement fractions, viral tests (HIV, HBV, etc.)
Biochemistry:
Inorganic Ions: Ions (Na, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, P), Serum Iron
Antibodies: total proteins, albumin, antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE)
Non-protein nitrogenous constituents: urea, uric acid, creatinine
Lipids: lipoproteins, total cholesterol, LDL-HDL, apolipoproteins, triglycerides, free fatty acids
Blood sugar: blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobins
Liver function: total bilirubin, direct bilirubin
Enzymes: Creatine kinase (CK), Glutamyl transferase (yGT), alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases, transaminases (ASAT-ALAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxic
Gel dry tube (with coagulation activator)
Yellow plug
Serology: Cold agglutinins, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious mononucleosis, syphilis, acute articular rheumatism, rubella, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), complement fractions, viral tests (HIV, HBV, etc.)
Biochemistry:
Inorganic Ions: Ions (Na, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, P), Serum Iron
Antibodies: total proteins, albumin, antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE)
Non-protein nitrogenous constituents: urea, uric acid, creatinine
Lipids: lipoproteins, total cholesterol, LDL-HDL, apolipoproteins, triglycerides, free fatty acids
Blood sugar: blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobins
Liver function: total bilirubin, direct bilirubin
Enzymes: Creatine kinase (CK), Glutamyl transferase (yGT), alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases, transaminases (ASAT-ALAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxic
Serology: Cold agglutinins, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious mononucleosis, syphilis, rheumatic fever, rubella, C-reactive protein (CRP), complement fractions, viral tests (HIV, HBV…)
Biochemistry:
Inorganic ions: Ions (Na, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, P), Serum iron
Antibodies: total protein, albumin, antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE)
Non-protein nitrogenous constituents: urea, uric acid, creatinine
Lipids: lipoproteins, total cholesterol, LDL-HDL, apolipoproteins, triglycerides, free fatty acids
Blood glucose: blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobins
Liver function: total bilirubin, direct bilirubin
Enzymes: Creatine kinase (CK), Glutamyl transferase (yGT), alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases, transaminases (ASAT-ALAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxins
Lithium or sodium heparin tube
Green plug
Serology: C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Biochemistry:
Inorganic Ions: Ions (Na, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, P), Serum Iron
Antibodies: total proteins, albumin, antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE)
Non-protein nitrogenous constituents: urea, uric acid, creatinine
Lipids: lipoproteins, total cholesterol, LDL-HDL, apolipoproteins, triglycerides, free fatty acids
Blood sugar: blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobins
Liver function: total bilirubin, direct bilirubin
Enzymes: Creatine kinase (CK), Glutamyl transferase (yGT), alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases, transaminases (ASAT-ALAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxic
Serology: C Reactive Protein (CRP)
Biochemistry:
Inorganic ions: Ions (Na, K, Cl, Ca, Mg, P), serum iron
Antibodies: total protein, albumin, antibodies (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE)
Non-protein nitrogenous constituents: urea, uric acid, creatinine
Lipids: lipoproteins, total cholesterol, LDL-HDL, apolipoproteins, triglycerides, free fatty acids
Blood glucose: blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobins
Liver function: total bilirubin, direct bilirubin
Enzymes: Creatine kinase (CK), Glutamyl transferase (yGT), alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases, transaminases (ASAT-ALAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxins
EDTA K2 or EDTA K3 Tube
Purple or transluscent purple tube *
Haematology: Haemogram (CBC), Platelets, Reticulocytes, Sedimentation rate, Blood groupings, Irregular agglutinins
Serology: Coombs test, Cold agglutinins
Hormonology: Hormones
Pharmacology – Toxicology: Drugs, toxins
Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate tube
Grey plug
Biochemistry: Blood glucose
Sodium Citrate ESR tube
Black plug
Haematology: Sedimentation rate