TYPE OF CONTAINERS & SPECIMEN TUBE

Order of draw

Tube type    (colour coded)

Additives

Volume

Determinations

Invert

1

Blood culture media. Apply sterile technique. Open cover and swab with alcohol before use.

Adult:

8- 10 ml

Children:

3-5 ml

Detection of bacterial infection in blood

Blood culture medium

• Adult Blood Aerobic (8-10 ml) – blue (aerobic/fungal)
• Adult Blood Anaerobic (8-10 ml) -Orange
• Paeds (3-5 ml) – Pink (Aerobic/Fungal)
• Myco F-lytic (3-5 ml) - Red (TB)

1-3 times

2

Buffered sodium citrate (Light blue)

1.8 ml

Coagulation determination

3-4 times

3

Plain or plain with gel (red/yellow)

4.0 ml

Serum determination in serology test

6-8 times

4

Lithium heparin (Green)

4.0 ml

Plasma determinations in chemistry

8 times

5

K₂EDTA

(Lavender)

3.0 ml (Blood bank: 4.0 ml)

Whole blood for hematology determinations, blood banking applications  and biochemistry molecular diagnostic, HbA1c, Viral load , Ammonia

8 times

6

Fluoride -Potassium oxalate/ Sodium Fluoride (Grey)

2.0 ml

Glucose test , Lactate

8 times

Tube Invert procedure

Urine container

• Urine 24 hrs

50 ml sterile container

• Urine
• Stool
• Pus
• Semen
• Body fluids
• Small tissue for Histopathology and cytology
• Urine Biochemistry

Sterile bijou bottle

CSF specimen for C&S

CSF specimen for biochemistry

Transport medium for stool / rectal swab C&S

                             a)                      b)

a) Selenite F - for isolation Salmonella, & Shigella

b) Alkaline peptone water (APW) – for isolation of Vibrio sp

Viral Transport Medium (VTM)

• Throat swab/rectal swab/NP swab for Virology Culture

Capillary tube

• Serum Bilirubin (SB)
• Capillary Blood Gas (CBG)

Bacterial transport media with charcoal

• Swab for bacterial C&S
• Environmental swab for bacteria and fungi C&S

Bullet tube (1 ml)-Plain tube Peads

• Serology test only
• Immunology
• Virology

ESR tube

• ESR test  (fill sample up to indicator line)

Heparinized syringe

• ABG test  (transport sample with ice)

Non sterile container for Histology sample

• Big tissue for histopathology

Non sterile container for small Histology sample

• Small to medium size  tissue for histopathology
• Smaller tissue: in 50 ml container
• Sent sample with fixative

Example of sample transportation

Ammonia

ABG test

Three layer packaging for H1N1

Ice box for blood bag transportation

Bio-hazard plastic bag

• Other samples such as blood tube, urine container and etc.
• Attached request form outside the plastic bag (do not fold).