Phlebotomy Order of Draw Study UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Lab responsible for blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - Microbiology
Additive in blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium polyanethole sulfonate- SPS
(Nutrient Broth)
How and what do you clean for blood culture? - CORRECT ANSWER - ChloraPrep (not
alc) at injection site and wipe down the tops of collection bottles
What order do you fill blood culture bottles? - CORRECT ANSWER - Aerobic first and
then anaerobic (butterfly tubing contains air, hence why aerobic is first)
What does STAT mean? - CORRECT ANSWER - Test must be carried out immediately
T/F) Blood cultures are usually ordered STAT or as timed specimens - CORRECT
ANSWER - True
What is the purpose of sodium polyanethole sulfonate (SPS)? - CORRECT ANSWER - To
promote rapid growth of pathogenic/infectious microorganisms in a blood sample (for
identification)- blood culture bottles
What tubes come before and after blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - No tubes
before, discard tube after (clear or glass red top).
What needle should you use for a blood culture? - CORRECT ANSWER - Use a winged
infusion set (butterfly) to prevent nutrient broth introduction to blood stream (may differ by
employer)
,Which red top tube (glass/plastic) do you use as a discard? - CORRECT ANSWER - Glass
(glass red tops contain no additives)
What is a discard tube used for? - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to prevent thrombin and
other cells from polluting the samples drawn in following tubes.
What tubes come before and after a discard tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - Blood culture
bottles before, light blue top tube after
What tubes come before and after a light blue top? - CORRECT ANSWER - Discard tube
before (clear, red glass), royal blue with red stripe after
T/F) the royal blue with red stripe tube has no additives - CORRECT ANSWER - True
Does the royal blue red stripe tube yield serum or plasma? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Serum
What is the difference between a glass red top tube (no additive) and a royal blue red stripe tube?
- CORRECT ANSWER - The royal blue red stripe tube contains no nickel
What is the difference between a purple top tube and a royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube contains no nickel
What 2 tests are royal blue tubes used for? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lead (Pb) poisoning, Heavy metal toxicology
Lab responsible for royal blue tubes? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Toxicology
, How many times should you invert royal blue tube? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
CORRECT ANSWER - 8 times (but you will invert all tubes 8-10 times)
What tubes come before and after royal blue red stripe tube? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Light blue before, plastic red top after
What tubes come before and after royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lavender before, grey after
Lab responsible for light blue top tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - Coagulation (or
Hematology if a smaller facility)
Additive in light blue tube? What does it do? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium citrate-
anticoagulant (prevents blood from coagulating and using up coagulation factors before reaching
the lab)
How does sodium citrate work? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium citrate prevents
coagulation by binding to the calcium in a specimen. This preserves the specimens coagulation
factors.
How much should you fill the light blue tube top? And why? - CORRECT ANSWER - All
the way! Sodium citrate requires a very specific blood to additive ratio (9 pets blood to 1 part
additive). There is a fill line on the tube
How much do you invert light blue tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - 3-4 times (but you will
invert all samples 8-10 times)
Does the light blue top tube yield serum or plasma? - CORRECT ANSWER - Plasma
What must you do BEFORE collecting a light blue top tube? - CORRECT ANSWER -
You must draw a discard tube. This prevents thromboplastin from entering the light blue tube.
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Lab responsible for blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - Microbiology
Additive in blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium polyanethole sulfonate- SPS
(Nutrient Broth)
How and what do you clean for blood culture? - CORRECT ANSWER - ChloraPrep (not
alc) at injection site and wipe down the tops of collection bottles
What order do you fill blood culture bottles? - CORRECT ANSWER - Aerobic first and
then anaerobic (butterfly tubing contains air, hence why aerobic is first)
What does STAT mean? - CORRECT ANSWER - Test must be carried out immediately
T/F) Blood cultures are usually ordered STAT or as timed specimens - CORRECT
ANSWER - True
What is the purpose of sodium polyanethole sulfonate (SPS)? - CORRECT ANSWER - To
promote rapid growth of pathogenic/infectious microorganisms in a blood sample (for
identification)- blood culture bottles
What tubes come before and after blood cultures? - CORRECT ANSWER - No tubes
before, discard tube after (clear or glass red top).
What needle should you use for a blood culture? - CORRECT ANSWER - Use a winged
infusion set (butterfly) to prevent nutrient broth introduction to blood stream (may differ by
employer)
,Which red top tube (glass/plastic) do you use as a discard? - CORRECT ANSWER - Glass
(glass red tops contain no additives)
What is a discard tube used for? - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to prevent thrombin and
other cells from polluting the samples drawn in following tubes.
What tubes come before and after a discard tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - Blood culture
bottles before, light blue top tube after
What tubes come before and after a light blue top? - CORRECT ANSWER - Discard tube
before (clear, red glass), royal blue with red stripe after
T/F) the royal blue with red stripe tube has no additives - CORRECT ANSWER - True
Does the royal blue red stripe tube yield serum or plasma? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Serum
What is the difference between a glass red top tube (no additive) and a royal blue red stripe tube?
- CORRECT ANSWER - The royal blue red stripe tube contains no nickel
What is the difference between a purple top tube and a royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube contains no nickel
What 2 tests are royal blue tubes used for? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lead (Pb) poisoning, Heavy metal toxicology
Lab responsible for royal blue tubes? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Toxicology
, How many times should you invert royal blue tube? (Red stripe or lavender/blue stripe) -
CORRECT ANSWER - 8 times (but you will invert all tubes 8-10 times)
What tubes come before and after royal blue red stripe tube? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Light blue before, plastic red top after
What tubes come before and after royal blue lavender/blue stripe tube? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lavender before, grey after
Lab responsible for light blue top tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - Coagulation (or
Hematology if a smaller facility)
Additive in light blue tube? What does it do? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium citrate-
anticoagulant (prevents blood from coagulating and using up coagulation factors before reaching
the lab)
How does sodium citrate work? - CORRECT ANSWER - Sodium citrate prevents
coagulation by binding to the calcium in a specimen. This preserves the specimens coagulation
factors.
How much should you fill the light blue tube top? And why? - CORRECT ANSWER - All
the way! Sodium citrate requires a very specific blood to additive ratio (9 pets blood to 1 part
additive). There is a fill line on the tube
How much do you invert light blue tube? - CORRECT ANSWER - 3-4 times (but you will
invert all samples 8-10 times)
Does the light blue top tube yield serum or plasma? - CORRECT ANSWER - Plasma
What must you do BEFORE collecting a light blue top tube? - CORRECT ANSWER -
You must draw a discard tube. This prevents thromboplastin from entering the light blue tube.
