Which color top is commonly used to collect samples for blood banking requiring ACD?

Which color top is commonly used to collect samples for blood banking requiring ACD?

• A. Red
• B. Gold
• C. Yellow
• D. Lavender

Answer: (C)

In blood banking, the color of the tube indicates the additive inside, and the additive used for preserving and anticoagulating the sample is what you’re testing knowledge of. ACD, or acid citrate dextrose, is an anticoagulant used to preserve donor blood components for storage and compatibility testing. Tubes that contain ACD are the yellow-top tubes. The citrate binds calcium to prevent clotting, while the dextrose helps maintain cell viability, which is essential for blood bank use. Other common colors correspond to different additives (red for no additive or clot activator, gold for serum separator, lavender for EDTA) and aren’t used for ACD-based blood banking collections. So the yellow-top tube is the one used for samples requiring ACD.

In blood banking, the color of the tube indicates the additive inside, and the additive used for preserving and anticoagulating the sample is what you’re testing knowledge of. ACD, or acid citrate dextrose, is an anticoagulant used to preserve donor blood components for storage and compatibility testing. Tubes that contain ACD are the yellow-top tubes. The citrate binds calcium to prevent clotting, while the dextrose helps maintain cell viability, which is essential for blood bank use. Other common colors correspond to different additives (red for no additive or clot activator, gold for serum separator, lavender for EDTA) and aren’t used for ACD-based blood banking collections. So the yellow-top tube is the one used for samples requiring ACD.