Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Laboratory Manual

Back to Main Page of Lab Manual

Tube or Device	Used for
Blood culture bottle set (aerobic and anaerobic)	Routine Blood culture for aerobic and anaerobic organisms
Blood culture, neonate	Neonate Blood Bottle (PEDS Plus) for aerobic organisms.   (A separate adult anaerobic may be sent if clinically indicated.)
Blue top (3.2% citrate)	Plasma for coagulation tests Whole blood for sugar water
Blue top FDP (thrombin)	Fibrin Degradation Products (blood will clot!)
Fungal/Mycobacterial blood culture	Myco/F Lytic bottle for isolation of dimorphic fungi and mycobacteria
Gray top (oxalate/fluoride)	Whole blood or plasma (with enzymes inhibited)
Green top (heparin)	Whole blood or plasma
Green top (with plasma separator)	Plasma (separated from cells by gel)
Isolator® Blood culture tube	Upper tube is the pediatric size Isolator, suitable for Bone marrow culture and pediatric specimens. Lower tube is adult size Isolator, suitable for blood culture for Bartonella, Neisseria, Malessezia.
Lavender top (EDTA)	Whole blood or plasma
Lavender top (EDTA)	Plasma for coagulation tests; whole blood for sugar water
Navy blue top, EDTA	Trace metal-free plasma
Navy blue top, no additives	Trace metal-free serum
Navy blue top, heparin	Trace metal-free plasma
Pink top (plastic EDTA)	Whole blood for Blood Bank specimens
Red top without serum separator	Serum (with clot accessible)
Serum separator tube (red top)	Serum (separated from clot by plastic gel)
Syringe, "Low-Heparin" (electrolyte balanced)	Whole blood for Blood Gas Analysis
Yellow top {Acid Citrate Dextrose} (ACD), soln A	Whole blood (with cell viability)
Yellow top {Acid Citrate Dextrose} (ACD), soln B	Whole blood (with cell viability) Note: The ACD solution B tube is almost identical in appearance to the ACD solution A tube, but the label distinguishes the two. Solution B is designed for a smaller blood draw volume than solution A.

Tube or Device	Used for
24 hr. urine container, no preservative	24 hr. urine collection
24 hr. urine container, with preservative	24 hr. urine collection
B-D Urine Collection kit (gray-top tube)	Urine for bacteriology, mycology, and AFB culture
Catheter kit	Urine for culture
Cytolyt in 50 ml tube	Urine for cytology from outside the hospital
Non-sterile containers	Urine for UA, Chemistry, Hematology, viral culture, antigen testing, and chlaymdia/GC PCR
Red top without serum separator (use with Urine Collection kit)	Urine for UA, Chemistry, Hematology, viral culture, antigen testing, and chlaymdia/GC PCR

Aerobic swab transport tube Maintains viability of aerobic bacteria and yeast. The use of swabs to collect material for Microbiological testing is adequate for sampling skin, mucous membranes, genital sites and anal crypts only.

To insure adequate amounts of material for inoculation, ONE swab should be submitted for each type of culture requested:

Anaerobic Transport Swab - Maintains viability of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. Use only when fluid aspiration is impossible.

Aerobic/Anaerobic Transport Swab - Maintains viability of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. Use only when fluid aspiration is impossible.

M4-RT transport media and swabs - For viral culture, Chlamydia and Neisseria gonorrhoeae PCR testing and Chlamydia culture.  Available in the ED, various outpatient units, Stat lab (west campus) and in the Microbiology lab (east campus).

Cytolyt® preservative - For cytopathology specimens. Available from the Cytopathology section.

Mycoplasma Culture transport media - For all Mycoplasma respiratory and genital cultures.  Must be refrigerated.  Available in laboratory send-out department.  Note: this is different from the M4-RT transport medium used for culture of Chlamydia.

Tube or Device	Used for
Enteric Pathogen kit	Protects bacterial pathogens from dying in transit and storage. Useful for outpatients.
Sterile containers (without preservative)	Detection of bacterial pathogens if transported within 2 hours of collection, C. difficile toxin, detection of parasites, viral culture, other tests
Para-Pak®	Preserves parasites for examination

Syringes - For microbiologic testing, their use for transport is acceptable only if needle is removed and syringe is firmly re-capped to prevent leakage. Another option is use of the anaerobic transport tube.

Pinword paddles - For detection of Pinworm infection.  Available from Microbiology laboratory.

Viral antigen detection kits for VZV, HSV - For direct detection of VZV and HSV from clinically compatible cutaneous lesions.  Available from West campus Stat laboratory and Microbiology laboratory.

 Revised/Reviewed 2/13/2008