What is a green blood tube used for?

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Multiple Choice

What is a green blood tube used for?

Explanation:
Green-top tubes contain heparin, an anticoagulant that prevents blood from clotting so you can obtain plasma quickly. Coagulation profiling needs plasma, not clotted blood, because the tests assess the activity of clotting factors and related pathways in the liquid portion of blood. Using a heparinized sample lets you centrifuge and use the plasma for these assays without the interference a clot would introduce. CBC testing, by contrast, relies on EDTA to preserve blood cells. Blood glucose testing typically uses fluoride-oxalate to inhibit glycolysis and preserve glucose levels, not heparin. Immunology tests may require serum or different anticoagulants depending on the specific assay.

Green-top tubes contain heparin, an anticoagulant that prevents blood from clotting so you can obtain plasma quickly. Coagulation profiling needs plasma, not clotted blood, because the tests assess the activity of clotting factors and related pathways in the liquid portion of blood. Using a heparinized sample lets you centrifuge and use the plasma for these assays without the interference a clot would introduce.

CBC testing, by contrast, relies on EDTA to preserve blood cells. Blood glucose testing typically uses fluoride-oxalate to inhibit glycolysis and preserve glucose levels, not heparin. Immunology tests may require serum or different anticoagulants depending on the specific assay.

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