Which tube contains EDTA as an additive?

Which tube contains EDTA as an additive?

• A. Lead-free tubes
• B. Royal blue tubes
• C. ACD tubes
• D. SPS tubes

Answer: (A)

EDTA is a calcium-chelating anticoagulant, which prevents blood from clotting by removing calcium. Tubes that contain EDTA are used when you need to preserve cells for hematology tests or whole-blood specimens for certain analyses. Among the options, ACD tubes use citrate, not EDTA; SPS tubes contain sodium polyanethol sulfonate; lead-free tubes are designed to minimize lead contamination and are not defined by EDTA content. Royal blue tubes can be formulated with EDTA for trace-element testing, so they are the type you’d expect to contain EDTA in many settings. Therefore, EDTA is found in royal blue tubes rather than the other listed types.

EDTA is a calcium-chelating anticoagulant, which prevents blood from clotting by removing calcium. Tubes that contain EDTA are used when you need to preserve cells for hematology tests or whole-blood specimens for certain analyses. Among the options, ACD tubes use citrate, not EDTA; SPS tubes contain sodium polyanethol sulfonate; lead-free tubes are designed to minimize lead contamination and are not defined by EDTA content. Royal blue tubes can be formulated with EDTA for trace-element testing, so they are the type you’d expect to contain EDTA in many settings. Therefore, EDTA is found in royal blue tubes rather than the other listed types.