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Lab Containers
Blood culture tubes are used to collect blood samples for bacterial and fungal cultures. They come in different colors and are labeled with the type of culture they are for.
Blood culture tube colors:
- Yellow top: For pediatric aerobic cultures
- Green top: For adult aerobic cultures
- Orange top: For anaerobic cultures
- Black top: For mycobacteria cultures
- Silver top: For mycoplasma cultures
- Blue top: For aerobic-only cultures
- Purple top: For blood culture sets
Blood culture tube contents: Sodium polyanethole sulfonate (SPS): An anticoagulant found in yellow, pink, and blue culture bottles Heparin: An anticoagulant found in green tubes Ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA): An anticoagulant found in lavender tubes Potassium oxalate: An anticoagulant found in grey tubes Sodium fluoride: An antiglycolytic agent found in grey tubes
A citrate tube, commonly identified by its light blue cap, is used for collecting blood samples intended for coagulation studies. It contains sodium citrate as an anticoagulant, which prevents blood clotting by binding to calcium ions essential for the coagulation cascade.
An EDTA tube, commonly known as a purple-top or lavender-top tube, contains Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as an anticoagulant. EDTA works by binding calcium ions, which are essential for blood clotting, thereby preventing the blood from coagulating. This makes EDTA tubes crucial for various hematological procedures, such as complete blood counts (CBC), blood typing, and genetic analysis.
A heparin tube, commonly referred to as a green-top tube, is a blood collection tube that contains heparin, an anticoagulant that prevents blood from clotting. This type of tube is essential in various medical and laboratory applications where maintaining the liquid state of blood is necessary for accurate testing.
A plain tube, often referred to as a red-top tube, is a type of blood collection tube that does not contain any additives or anticoagulants. It is used primarily for collecting blood samples intended for serum separation, which is essential for various clinical tests.
A sodium fluoride tube, often identified by a gray cap, is a specialized blood collection tube used primarily for preserving glucose levels in blood samples. It contains sodium fluoride as a glycolysis inhibitor and typically an anticoagulant like potassium oxalate to prevent clotting.
A sterile container is a specialized device used to hold medical instruments and equipment during sterilization, ensuring they remain free from contaminants. These containers are crucial in healthcare settings for maintaining the sterility of instruments before, during, and after sterilization processes.
A "sugar tube" is commonly referred to as a glucose tube, which is used for collecting blood samples to measure glucose levels. These tubes typically contain sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate as additives. Sodium fluoride acts as a glycolysis inhibitor to prevent glucose breakdown in the blood cells, while potassium oxalate serves as an anticoagulant to prevent blood clotting.
A transport swab is a medical device used for collecting and transporting biological samples, particularly for microbiological analysis. These swabs are designed to maintain the viability of microorganisms during transport from the collection site to the laboratory for testing.
A urine container is a specialized vessel used for collecting and storing urine samples for medical testing. These containers are designed to ensure safe handling, transport, and storage of urine specimens, which are crucial for various diagnostic tests such as urinalysis, culture, and drug screening.
A urine culture bottle is a specialized container used for collecting and storing urine samples intended for microbiological analysis, particularly for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs). These bottles are designed to maintain the sterility of the sample, ensuring accurate test results.