VACUETTE® Serum Clot Activator Blood Collection Tubes are red top tubes with spray-dried microscopic silica particles coating the inner walls, which activate the coagulation process. VACUETTE® Serum Clot Activator Tubes are of the highest quality and made from virtually unbreakable plastic.

How do you use a clot activator tube?

1. Recommended storage temperature: 4-25°C.
2. Invert the tube 8-10 times immediately after drawing the blood.
3. Erythrocyte, Leucocytes and Thrombocytes should complete in 24 hrs after drawing blood in EDTA tube.

What is added to blood tubes to prevent clot formation?

Anticoagulants are used to prevent clot formation both in vitro and in vivo. … Calcium is necessary for a wide range of enzyme reactions of the coagulation cascade and its removal irreversibly prevents blood clotting within the collection tube.

What color tube has clot activator?

Red-top tube, plastic This tube is a plastic Vacutainer containing a clot activator but no anticoagulants, preservatives, or separator material. It is used for collection of serum for selected laboratory tests as indicated.

Which type of blood collection tube contains a clot activator and a gel?

SST / Gold top – Tube contains a clot activator / gel separator which separates the cells from the serum for a variety of testing. 4.

What are 5 examples of clot activators?

Clot activators – glass, silica, kaolin, bentonite, and diatomaceous earth – work by surface dependent mechanism whereas extrinsic biomolecules – thrombin, snake venoms, ellagic acid, and thromboplastin – start in vitro coagulation when added to blood.

Why the order of draw is important?

The order of draw is recommended for both glass and plastic venous collections tubes when drawing multiple specimens for medical laboratory testing during a single venipuncture. The purpose is to avoid possible test result error due to additive carryover.

Which component of the blood is responsible for blood clotting?

The main job of platelets, or thrombocytes, is blood clotting. Platelets are much smaller in size than the other blood cells. They group together to form clumps, or a plug, in the hole of a vessel to stop bleeding.

What additive promotes clotting?

Anticoagulants are substances that prevent blood from clotting. Clot activators are substances (eg, glass, silica, thrombin) that promote clot formation. There are many different kinds of anticoagulants used in evacuated tubes.

What most likely caused the clot in this specimen?

Clotted sample Clotting can occur if your blood is not mixed thoroughly after collection (the tube needs to be inverted 5times) or if you have taken a long time to collect your sample and the blood has clotted before mixing takes place.

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How does EDTA prevent clotting?

Laboratory use Apart from heparin, most of these chemicals work by binding calcium ions, preventing the coagulation proteins from using them. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) strongly and irreversibly chelates (binds) calcium ions, preventing blood from clotting.

What does SST tube test for?

Serum Separator Tube (SST®) for serum determinations in chemistry and serology. Contains separator gel and should not be used for toxicology or drug testing. Inversions ensure mixing of clot activator with blood. Blood clotting time 30 minutes.

How does heparin prevent clot formation?

Small amounts of heparin inhibit Factor Xa, and larger amounts inhibit thrombin (Factor IIa). Heparin also prevents the formation of a stable fibrin clot by inhibiting the activation of the fibrin stabilizing factor. Heparin does not have fibrinolytic activity; therefore, it will not lyse existing clots.

What is the purpose of an Antiglycolytic agent?

The antiglycolytic agent is a substance that inhibits glycolysis or metabolism of glucose by the cells of the blood.

Why are serum separator tubes used?

Serum-separating tubes, also known as serum separator tubes or SSTs, are used in medical clinical chemistry tests requiring blood serum. … They contain a special gel that separates blood cells from serum, as well as particles to cause blood to clot quickly.

Is heparin only IV?

Heparin comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected intravenously (into a vein) or deeply under the skin and as a dilute (less concentrated) solution to be injected into intravenous catheters. Heparin should not be injected into a muscle.

Why does serum clot after centrifugation?

After centrifugation, the inert acrylic gel at the bottom of the tube normally occupies the middle position between the cells (clot) and the serum, as its density is intermediate between theirs. The gel then serves as a barrier to diffusion, preventing contamination of the serum with cellular components.

What is the gold top blood test for?

Specimen required: 5ml serum SST (Gold top) Tests are performed by the immunology department at St Richards Hospital. This combined test will detect auto antibodies to gastric parietal cells; mitochondria; smooth muscle and liver-kidney microsomes.

Why do you draw a blue top first?

This is all done at bedside at time of draw. draws – see below) to help prevent tissue fluid contamination first draw a small amount of blood into a waste tube (plain/no additive tube – white or red top) before drawing blue top tube. Allow vacuum to fill tube until blood stops flowing.

What order should blood tubes be drawn?

1. First – blood culture bottle or tube (yellow or yellow-black top)
2. Second – coagulation tube (light blue top). …
3. Third – non-additive tube (red top)
4. Last draw – additive tubes in this order:

What does SST stand for in phlebotomy?

STOPPER COLORCONTENTSVOL.Gold Top (Serum Separator, “SST”)Contains separating gel and clot activator6.0 mLLight Blue – Yellow Label on TubeThrombin2.0 mLGreenSodium heparin(100 USP Units)5.0 mLTanK2 EDTA5.0 mL

What is the most most important step in specimen collection?

Laboratory tests contribute vital information about a patient’s health. Correct diagnostic and therapeutic decisions rely, in part, on the accuracy of test results. Adequate patient preparation, specimen collection, and specimen handling are essential prerequisites for accurate test results.

What happens if you underfill a tube with blood?

If tubes are underfilled, the blood:anticoagulant ratio may result in hemolysis. Avoid underfilling tubes by having an ample supply of tubes of various capacities.

Do you centrifuge red top tubes?

Red top tubes contain no additives. Red top tubes must be allowed to clot completely (30-60 minutes) prior to centrifugation. Centrifuging the specimen yields serum. NOTE: All drug levels must be drawn in red top tubes only.

What are the additives in blood collection tubes?

The additives may include anticoagulants (EDTA, sodium citrate, heparin) or a gel with density between those of blood cells and blood plasma. Additionally, some tubes contain additives that preserve certain components of or substances within the blood, such as glucose.

What are additives used for in phlebotomy?

Most blood collection tubes contain an additive that either accelerates clotting of the blood (clot activator) or prevents the blood from clotting (anticoagulant).

Which blood tubes have additives?

• Blood culture tube or bottle.
• Sodium citrate tube (eg, blue closure)
• Serum tubes, including those with clot activator and gels (eg, red, red-speckled, gold closures)
• Heparin tube with or without gel (eg, dark green, light green, speckled green closures)

What triggers clotting cascade?

Overview of the blood clotting cascade. The plasma clotting system is initiated in two distinct mechanisms: the Tissue Factor (TF) Pathway and the Contact Pathway. The TF pathway is triggered when the cell-surface complex of TF and fVIIa (TF:VIIa) activates fIX and/or fX by limited proteolysis.

How do clotting factors work?

The clotting factors work together to make threads of a protein called fibrin. The fibrin threads weave over the platelet plug to make a strong clot. The body then has time to heal the blood vessel. When it is no longer needed, the body gets rid of the fibrin clot.

What are the 3 stages of blood clotting?

1) Constriction of the blood vessel. 2) Formation of a temporary “platelet plug.” 3) Activation of the coagulation cascade. 4) Formation of “fibrin plug” or the final clot.

Why should a clot never be removed from a sample?

Clotting compromises the integrity of a specimen, making it unsatisfactory for testing.