Interview With a BlueTop

Your Personal Phlebotomy Guru interviews a blue top (sodium citrate) blood collection tube used for drawing blood samples. Mr. Blue Top candidly tells us he has some very special handling requirements everyone who draws blood must know. Callers asking detailed questions give us insights into how sodium citrate tubes must be filled, mixed and transported in order to be capable of producing accurate test results. Subject matter time codes: 0:00---Welcome and introduction 1:20--What sodium citrate does to blood 1:50---Tests performed on blue top tubes 2:20---proper fill volumes and what happens to results in underfilled tubes 3:25---How sodium citrate anticoagulates tubes 3:48---proper mixing and transportation conditions 4:40---First caller asks about discard tubes needed before filling blue tops 5:40---Dispelling the tissue thromboplastin myth 6:48----Blue Top's position in the order of draw 8:20---Second caller asks if there's anything wrong with using a discard tube 9:04---The difference between serum and plasma 10:25---Third caller asks what the most important handling and processing requirements are for all who draw blood. 12:15---Why blood is so subject to change 12:40---Closing and preview of the next interview Interview with a Red Top:    • Interview With a Red Top   For a newly released video on Preventing Preanalytical Errors, visit https://www.phlebotomy.com/preanalyti... For a downloadable PDF of "If Tubes Could Talk," visit https://www.phlebotomy.com/TTP-if-tub... For more phlebotomy educational materials, visit www.phlebotomy.com.