Vacutainer tubes come in different colors that indicate the additive used to preserve samples for specific tests. Purple tubes contain EDTA to prevent clotting for hematology tests. Yellow tubes contain anticoagulants like SPS or ACD to stabilize bacteria for cultures. Red tubes lack additives or contain clot activators for serum biochemistry. Blue tubes contain sodium citrate to evaluate the clotting system. Green tubes contain heparin to inhibit clotting for specialized tests. Grey tubes contain potassium oxalate and sodium fluoride to measure glucose levels. The color-coding helps technicians select the correctly preserved sample for different analyses.

1. BLOOD VAILS
COLOR CODES OF VACUTAINER TUBES & ITS USES

2. INTRODUCTION TO VACUTAINER TUBES
 VACUTAINER TUBES WERE INVENTED BY JOE KLEINER AND BD (BECTON, DICKINSON & CO.) IN 1949.
 A VACUTAINER BLOOD COLLECTION TUBE IS A STERILE GLASS OR PLASTIC TUBE WITH A CLOSURE THAT IS
EVACUATED TO CREATE A VACUUM INSIDE THE TUBE FACILITATING THE DRAW OF A PREDETERMINED VOLUME
OF LIQUID. MOST COMMONLY USED TO DRAW THE BLOOD SAMPLES DIRECTLY FROM THE VEIN.
 VACUTAINER TUBES MAY CONTAIN ADDITIVES, MOSTLY THE ANTICOAGULANTS, DESIGNED TO STABILIZE AND
PRESERVE THE BLOOD SPECIMEN PRIOR TO ANALYTICAL TESTING. THESE TUBES ARE AVAILABLE WITH OR
WITHOUT A SAFETY-ENGINEERED CLOSURE (THE RUBBER STOPPER INSIDE THE PLASTIC CAP), WITH A VARIETY
OF LABELING OPTION AND CLOSURE COLORS AS WELL AS A RANGE OF DRAW VOLUMES.

3. PRINCIPLE OF VACUTAINER TUBES
• WHEN A VACUTAINER TUBE IS INSERTED INTO THE HOLDER, ITS RUBBER CAP IS PUNCTURED BY
THE INNER NEEDLE AND THE VACUUM IN THE TUBE PULLS BLOOD THROUGH THE NEEDLE INTO
THE TUBE.
• VACUTAINER TUBES ARE COVERED WITH A COLOR-CODED PLASTIC CAP THAT INDICATES
WHICH ADDITIVES THE TUBE CONTAINS. THESE COLOR INDICATORS HELP THE PHLEBOTOMIST
TO EASILY SELECT THE TUBES IN WHICH THE BLOOD SHOULD BE DRAWN AS PER THE TESTS
THAT HAVE TO BE PERFORMED. THE ADDITIVES PRESENT IN THE VACUTAINER TUBES PLAYS THE
MOST IMPORTANT ROLE AS EVERY ADDITIVE HAS A UNIQUE FUNCTION AND THESE ARE
SELECTED AS PER THE TESTS TO BE PERFORMED.

4. HERE IS THE LIST OF COLOR CODES OF THE TUBE, THE
ADDITIVES PRESENT IN THEM AND THEIR COMMON USES –
• PURPLE/LAVENDER :- THESE BOTTLES ARE GENERALLY USED FOR HAEMATOLOGY TESTS
WHERE WHOLE BLOOD IS REQUIRED FOR ANALYSIS.
• ADDITIVE: EDTA (ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID)
• WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: REMOVES CALCIUM PREVENTING CLOTTING OF BLOOD
• LABORATORY USES: HEMATOLOGY TESTING (ESR, CBC W/DIFF., HGBA1C)
BLOOD FILM FOR ABNORMAL CELLS OR MALARIA PARASITES, RETICULOCYTES, RED CELL
FOLATE, MONOSPOT TEST FOR EBV, PARATHYROID HORMONE (PTH)

5. YELLOW
• ADDITIVE: ANTICOAGULANT SPS (SODIUM POLYANETHOLSULFONATE) & ACD (ACID CITRATE
DEXTROSE)
• WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: PREVENTS THE BLOOD FROM CLOTTING AND STABILIZES BACTERIAL
GROWTH.
• LABORATORY USES: BLOOD AND BODILY FLUID CULTURES (HLA, DNA, PATERNITY)
TUBES WITH SPS – FOR BLOOD AND BODILY FLUID CULTURES (HLA, DNA, PATERNITY). THE SPS
AIDS IN THE RECOVERY OF MICROORGANISMS BY SLOWING DOWN/ STOPPING THE
ACTIONS OF COMPLEMENT, PHAGOCYTES, AND CERTAIN ANTIBIOTICS.
TUBES WITH ACD ARE FOR CELLULAR STUDIES, HLA TYPING, PATERNITY TESTING.

6. RED
 THE RED BOTTLE IS LESS COMMON – IT IS USED FOR BIOCHEMISTRY TESTS REQUIRING SERUM
WHICH MIGHT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE SEPARATOR GEL USED IN THE YELLOW BOTTLE.
• ADDITIVE: NONE OR CONTAINS SILICA PARTICLES WHICH ACT AS CLOT ACTIVATORS.
• WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: CLOT ACTIVATOR PROMOTES BLOOD CLOTTING WITH GLASS OR SILICA
PARTICLES.
• LABORATORY USES: SERUM TESTING (GLUCOSE, CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDES, HDL, POTASSIUM,
AMYLASE, ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE, BUN, CK, LIVER ENZYMES), BLOOD BANK, SEROLOGY (RH
TYPING, ANTIBODY SCREENING, RED CELL PHOTOTYPING, DAT, RPR, MONOSPOT, RHEUMATOID
FACTOR, ANA)
•

7. LIGHT BLUE
 THE BLUE BOTTLE IS USED FOR HAEMATOLOGY TESTS INVOLVING THE CLOTTING SYSTEM, WHICH REQUIRE
INACTIVATED WHOLE BLOOD FOR ANALYSIS.
 ADDITIVE: SODIUM CITRATE
 WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: BINDS AND REMOVE CALCIUM TO PREVENT BLOOD FROM CLOTTING
 LABORATORY USES: COAGULATION (CLOTTING PROCESS-P.T)
PT (PROTHROMBIN TIME – EVALUATES THE EXTRINSIC SYSTEM OF THE COAGULATION CASCADE & MONITORS
COUMADIN THERAPY)
APTT/ PTT (ACTIVATED PARTIAL THROMBOPLASTIN TIME – EVALUATES THE INTRINSIC SYSTEM OF THE
COAGULATION CASCADE & MONITORS HEPARIN THERAPY)
FDP (FIBRINOGEN DEGRADATION PRODUCTS)
TT (THROMBIN TIME)
FACTOR ASSAYS

8. GREEN
• THIS LESS COMMONLY USED BOTTLE IS FOR BIOCHEMISTRY TESTS WHICH REQUIRE
HEPARINISED PLASMA OR WHOLE BLOOD FOR ANALYSIS.
• ADDITIVE: HEPARIN (SODIUM/LITHIUM/AMMONIUM)
• WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: INHIBITS THROMBIN FORMATION TO PREVENT CLOTTING
• LABORATORY USES: CHEMISTRY TESTING (PLASMA DETERMINATIONS IN CHEMISTRY) :
AMMONIA, CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN & STAT ELECTROLYTES, CHROMOSOME SCREENING,
INSULIN, RENIN AND ALDOSTERONE

9. GREY
• ADDITIVE: POTASSIUM OXALATE AND SODIUM FLUORIDE
• WHAT ADDITIVE DOES: SODIUM FLUORIDE ACTS AS AN ANTIGLYCOLYTIC AGENT TO ENSURE
THAT NO FURTHER GLUCOSE BREAKDOWN OCCURS WITHIN THE SAMPLE AFTER IT IS TAKEN.
POTASSIUM OXALATE REMOVES CALCIUM AND ACTS AS AN ANTICOAGULANT.
• LABORATORY USES: CHEMISTRY TESTING, ESPECIALLY GLUCOSE(SUGAR) AND LACTATE,
GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST (GTT)