Medical Assistant Prep / Unit 19 MAS 465 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
The Order of Draw
The idea
When several tubes are drawn from one venipuncture, they are always filled in a set sequence called the order of draw, which every laboratory publishes for its own tubes.
In practice
First come blood culture bottles, always before any other tube. Second, the light blue citrate tube. Third, the red and gold serum tubes. Fourth, the green heparin tubes. Fifth, the lavender EDTA tubes. Sixth, the gray fluoride tubes. Some laboratories place other specialty tubes within this sequence, so check the lab's own chart.
Where people slip
Improper draw order can produce wrong results or get specimens rejected, which means another needle for the patient. Follow the order every time, including when only two or three tubes are ordered, and keep the laboratory's chart where you draw.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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