Approved and current. Effective starting 12/21/2020. 14.9.19 (version 1.

0) LTD Order of Blood Draw and Specimen Collection Guide

Order of Blood Draw and Specimen Collection Guide

Laboratory Services,The University ofTexas Medical Branch
Contact 1.800.522.2266 for more information

Order of Draw Commonly Ordered Tests

Tube Closure Color Collection Tube Mix by Inverting Min. Clot Time
Panel Tests Hematology Chemistry
Acetaminophen (R,O) Lactic Dehydrogenase (S,G,R,O)
Electrolytes Panel (S,G,R,O) CBC with Differential (L)
Blood Cultures – SPS 8 to 10 times N/A Alpha-Fetoprotein (S,R,O) Lactic Acid (DG Lithium Heparin -
Includes: CBC without Differential (L)
on Ice)
• CO2 CD4/CD8 (L) Ammonia (DG Lithium/Sodium
Citrate Tube Heparin - on Ice) Lipase (S,G,R,O)
3 to 4 times N/A • Chloride Heparin Anti Xa (B)
(Light Blue) Amylase (S,G,R,O) Lithium (S,R,O)
• Potassium Platelet (L)
Beta Hydroxy-Butyrate (S,G,R,O) Myoglobin (S,G,R,O)
Serum Separator Tubes • Sodium Reticulocyte Count (L)
5 times 30 minutes Carbamazepine (R,O) NT-proBNP (S,G,R,O)
(Gold and Tiger) Basic Metabolic Panel or BMP (S,G,R,O) Sedimentation Rate (L)
CK-MB, serum (S,G,R,O) Osmolality (S,G,R,O)
Includes:
5 times (plastic) Sickle Cell Screen (L)
Serum Tube (Red) 60 minutes • Calcium Cortisol (S,G,R,O) Phenytoin (R,O)
None (glass) Antithrombin Activity (B)
• CO2 Digoxin (R,O) Phosphorus (S,G,R,O)
Rapid Serum Tube D-Dimer (B)
5 to 6 times 5 minutes • Chloride Ferritin, serum (S,G,R,O) PSA Screen Test (S,G,R,O)
(Orange) PT (B)
• Creatinine Folate (S,G,R,O) Pregnancy test Serum (S,R,O)
PTT or APTT (B)
Plasma Separator Tube 8 to 10 times N/A • Glucose Free T3 (S,G,R,O) RBC Folate (L)
• Potassium Fibrinogen (B)
Free T4 (S,R,O) Salicylate (R,O)
Heparin Tube (Green) 8 to 10 times N/A • Sodium Microbiology Gentamicin (R,O) Serum Drug Screen (R,O)
• Blood Urea Nitrogen GGT (S,G,R,O) Testosterone (S,G,R,O)
EDTA Tube (Lavender) 8 to 10 times N/A BK Virus DNA RT-PCR (P)
Hepatic Function Panel or LFP (S,G,R,O)
CMV DNA RT-PCR (P) Hemoglobin A1C (L) Total Beta HCG Assay (S,G,R,O)
PPT Separator Tube Includes:
Troponin I, serum (S,G,R,O)
8 to 10 times N/A ------------------------------------------------- Hepatitis A Virus, IgM (S,G,R,O)
(Pearl) • Albumin
The aerobic bottle should be Hepatitis A Virus, TL (S,G,R,O) T3, T4, T3 uptake (S,G,R,O
• Bilirubin, total
Fluoride Tube inoculated first as there is about Hepatitis B Surface Ab (S,R,O) TSH (S,G,R,O)
8 to 10 times N/A • Bilirubin, direct 0.5cc of air in the line of the
(Gray) collection set which will Hepatitis B Surface Ag (S,G,R,O) Uric Acid (S,G,R,O)
• Alkaline Phosphatase

Avoid placing Specimen Labeling • AST or SGOT compromise the anaerobic

environment. Also, the aerobic
Hepatitis B Core, IgM (S,G,R,O) Valproic Acid (R,O)
Vancomycin (R,O)
the label over Correct Labeling Incorrect Labeling • ALT or SGPT Hepatitis B Core IgM & IgG (S,R,O)
bottle is the more critical one to
the bottle lot inoculate in case of a short sample, HCV Antibody (S,G,R,O) Vitamin B12 (S,G,R,O)
• Protein, total
number and
and most of the organisms that Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy (S,R,O)
expiration Lipid Panel (S,G,R,O) HIV Antibody (S,G,R,O)
date cause septicemia will be recovered
Includes: aerobically. Homocysteine (S,G,R,O)
• Patient
barcode
• Label is
vertical to
• Cholesterol, serum total Aerobic (8-10 mL) Iron (S,G,R,O) Sp. Chemistry
cannot be • HDL Cholesterol, direct Iron Binding Capacity (S,R,O)
allow scanning Anaerobic (8-10 mL)
scanned • Patient label • Triglycerides Cancer Antigen-125 (S,R,O)
• Adhere the label lengthwise onto the tube. Pedi (1-3 mL) Keppra (R,O)
• Bottle barcode does not cover C Reactive Protein (S,G,R,O)
• No part of the label should be on the tube cap. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (S,G,R,O)
is covered and
cannot be
bottle barcode
• Specimen should be labeled with at least two patient identifiers. Consists of:
Myco F/Lytic (1-5 mL) Blood Bank Carcinoembryonic antigen
scanned • Test Requisition must have the Date and Time of specimen
collection.
• BMP and LFP panels without Serology ABO Rh (L) (R,S,O)

Cord blood (L – 6mL) Cyclosporin (L)

BU/BC
Anti-nuclear Antibody (S,R)
Draw Volume Guide Direct Antiglobulin Test / DAT (L) FSH (S,R,O)
Citrate Tubes EDTA Tubes Molecular Epstein Barr Virus, IgG (S,O)
Fetal Hgb Stain/FHS/KB Stain (L) Lead, Blood (L)
When using a winged blood H. Pylori IgG Antibody (S,R,O)
collection set (butterfly HIV-1 RNA Quant NAAT (L, P) Fetal Maternal Hemo Screen/FMH (L) Luteinizing Hormone (S,R,O)
Varicella Antibody, (S,R)
needle) for venipuncture, a HCV RNA Quant RT-TMA (L,P,S) Indirect Antiglobulin Test / IAT (L) Procalcitonin (S,R,O)
discard tube should be drawn Rubella IgG (S,R)
HBV DNA Quant RT-TMA (L,P,S) Prenatal Workup (L) Sirolimus (L)
first.
Syphilis IgG Total (S,R)
Type and Screen (L) Tacrolimus (L)

• Follow the UTMB Laboratory guidelines for proper sample Collection, Storage, and Transport. Tube top colors: (B) = Light Blue (S) = SST or Gold (P) = Pearl (L) = Lavender (R) = Red (G) = Light Green (DG) = Dark Green (O) = Rapid Serum (F) = Grey

• UTMB Laboratory Test Directory can be found online at www.utmb.edu/ls-ltd

Blank copy 7441067. Last reviewed on 12/21/2020. Printed on 11/14/2022 11:41 AM (CST). Page 1 of 1 Acknowledgement: Daharsh Rana