Different Type of Vacuum Blood Collection Tube
Vacuum Blood Collection Tube
| Type | Cap Color | Core Additives |
Core Applications |
Key Notes |
| Plain Tube | Red |
No additives |
Routine biochemistry, serology, antibody testing |
No inversion needed, slow coagulation, not suitable for emergency |
| Procoagulation Tube | Red/Orange | Clot Additives |
Emergency rapid biochemistry (ICU, emergency rescue tests) |
Invert 5-8 times, rapid coagulation |
| EDTA Tube | Purple | EDTA K2/EDTA K3 |
Complete blood count (CBC), blood type, glycated hemoglobin, thalassemia screening |
Invert 8 times, strictly prohibited for coagulation, calcium and iron tests |
| ESR Tube | Black |
Sodium Citrate |
Only erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) |
Invert 8 times, not used for coagulation or CBC |
| PT Tube | Blue |
3.2% Sodium Citrate |
Complete coagulation function (PT, APTT, D-dimer) |
Invert 3-4 times, strict ratio, specimen discarded if ratio is wrong |
| Clucose Tube | Gray |
Sodium Fluoride + Potassium Oxalate |
Blood glucose, glucose tolerance, lactic acid testing |
Invert 8 times, inhibits glycolysis to ensure accurate results |
| Heparin Tube | Green |
Lithium Heparin/Sodium Heparin |
Hemorrheology, blood gas analysis, emergency plasma biochemistry |
Invert 8 times, not suitable for blood cell morphology or PCR |
| Gel&Clot Activator Tube | Yellow |
Gel+Clot Activator |
Biochemistry, immunology, tumor markers, infectious diseases, hormones |
Invert 5-8 times, preferred for routine/emergency use |
National Standard Blood Collection Sequence (Must Remember): Blue → Black → Purple → Green → Yellow → Red → Gray
