Vacutainers are the blood collection tubes employed to draw blood samples. The phlebotomist just needs to attach a double-ended needle along with a vacutainer holder and the assembly thus obtained can be employed immediately. Among their manufacturers, Becton, Dickinson, and Company, abbreviated as BD, is the prominent one as they market a vast range of BD vacutainer tube types. Due to their diversity, one can usually find a vacutainer tube suitable for every kind of blood test.
Let us go through all the BD vacutainer tube types and learn how they differ based on their uses and functionality.
BD Vacutainer Tube Types and Uses
The BD vacutainer tube types along with their uses have been discussed as follows:
1. Vacutainer Tubes with No Additives
Some kinds of vacutainer tubes are free from any kind of additives. Plain red vacutainer tubes fall into this category. Their use is limited to the serological examination of the blood sample collected from the patient. In addition, total drug monitoring (TDM) can also be done from the blood sample collected in plain red vacutainer tubes.
2. EDTA Tubes
EDTA or ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid is a commonly found additive in many BD vacutainer tube types. It does not let the blood coagulate and hence its use is in multiple domains. The BC vacutainer tube types with EDTA are as follows:
· Lavender Vacutainer Tubes
Lavender blood collection tubes can hold blood samples for several hours i.e. up to 4 hours without freezer and up to several days when frozen without letting it coagulate. These tubes are employed for conducting tests like the complete blood count (CBC), red cell folate analysis, HbA1C test, thyroid function tests, etc. Moreover, apart from hematology, these vacutainer tubes are also ideal for cytogenetics.
· Pink Vacutainer Tubes
Pink vacutainer tubes also contain EDTA as their additive. Their use is prominent when it comes to blood typing, and checking the viral load in patients with viral diseases such as HIV. Coomb’s test is also conducted using these tubes.
· Tan Vacutainer Tubes
Tan BD vacutainer tubes also carry EDTA. These tubes are useful when it comes to conducting an estimation of lead in the patient’s blood sample.
· Pearlescent White Vacutainer Tubes
Pearlescent white vacutainer tubes have EDTA as well as the serum separating gel. These kinds of vacutainer tubes are useful for detecting the presence of toxoplasma microbe in the body. In addition, the diseases associated with adenoviruses can also be identified. This is done because these serum tubes can be subjected to polymerase chain reaction or PCR.
3. Heparin Tubes
Heparin-containing vacutainer blood collection tubes prevent blood clotting and keep the blood sample in its liquid form. These are of two types:
· Dark Green Vacutainer Tubes
These BD vacutainer tube types have dark green closures. The sodium heparin present in these tubes prepares the blood for chromosome testing. Moreover, these tubes also allow HLA typing as well as the quantification of ammonia and lactate in blood samples.
· Light Green Vacutainer Tubes
Light green vacutainer tubes also contain heparin but in their lithium salt form. Their use is similar to that of the dark green tubes. The estimation of ammonia as well as insulin can easily be done by employing these BD vacutainer tube types for sample collection.
4. Sodium Citrate Tubes
Sodium citrate is a salt that is added in many BD vacutainer tube types. Usually, its concentration is set at 3.2%. The following BD vacutainer tube types have sodium citrate in them:
· Light Blue Vacutainer Tubes
These BD vacutainer tube types work best for conduction tests like prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), etc.
· Black Vacutainer Tubes
Black vacutainer tubes carry sodium citrate as their additive. These tubes are also known as ESR tubes due to their extensive use for conducting erythrocyte sedimentation rates in pediatric patients.
· Yellow Vacutainer Tubes
Yellow vacutainer tubes are filled with the acid-citrate-dextrose combination. This assembly is helpful in preventing the blood from clotting. The main purpose of these BD vacutainer tube types is for HIV cultures, DNA studies, and tissue typing.
5. Sodium Fluoride Tubes
Sodium fluoride-based tubes carry the salt in them usually in combination with potassium oxalate. The grey vacutainer tubes fall into this category. The use of sodium fluoride tubes is in the quantification of glucose in the blood sample. In addition, these are also useful for conducting lactate assay.
6. Clot Activator
Many D vacutainer tube types have silica clot activator gel. This is used to reduce the clotting time of the blood sample as the coagulation happens rapidly after the sample is collected. The vacutainer tubes which fall into this category are as follows:
· Gold Vacutainer Tubes
Gold vacutainers, sometimes also tiger topped in red and grey color, have two additives i.e. clot activator as well as a serum separating gel. Their application is vast when it comes to conducting serological tests for the detection of HIV and hepatitis.
· Orange Vacutainer Tubes
The orange BD vacutainer tube types have similar additives as those in the gold vacutainers. Therefore, due to the presence of separation gel, these are employed for the rapid isolation of serum from the collected blood sample.
· Royal Blue or Navy Vacutainer Tubes
Royal blue or navy vacutainer tubes have sodium citrate in them. Their uses are vast as these tubes are employed for coagulation screening, identification of heavy metals as well as trace elements in the samples during toxicological studies, etc.
Summary
The following table summarizes the BD vacutainer tube types along with their additives, dimensions, as well as the amount of sample volume each of them can carry:
| BD Vacutainer Tube Types | Additives | Tube Dimensions (mm) | Volume (ml) |
| Light Blue | Sodium citrate | 13 x 75 | 2.7 |
| Gold | Clot activator and gel for serum separation | 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 3.5 5 |
| Red | Silicone coated with no additive | 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 4 6 |
| Light Green | Lithium heparin and gel for plasma separation | 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 3 4.5 |
| Dark Green | Lithium heparin with no serum separation gel | 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 2 6 |
| Dark Green | Sodium heparin | 13 x 75 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 2 4 6 |
| Lavender | Spray-coated K2 EDTA | 13 x 75 13 x 100 | 3 6 |
| Pink | Spray-coated K2 EDTA | 13 x 100 | 6 |
| Grey | Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate | 13 x 75 | 2 |
| Royal Blue | Clot activator | 13 x 100 | 6 |
Vacutainer Blood Collecting Tubes at Health Supply 770: Products and Specifications
Vacutainers are used to draw blood from the veins to conduct blood tests. These vacutainer tubes are prepared by BD Medical which is a leading healthcare firm. A vast range of BD vacutainer tube types are available in the market to choose from. Some of these products have been detailed below along with their purchase links and prices. Order can be placed directly by visiting the Health Supply 770 website:
BD 366430 Vacutainer Venous Blood Collection Tubes Serum Tubes
Price: $974.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 366430 Vacutainer venous blood and serum collection tubes are the products of BD Medical. These tubes are compact, smaller in size, and have paper labels on them. As there is no additive in the tubes, these can just be used for basic blood examination procedures.
When it comes to the closure system, it is of conventional type and has been coated with silicone to further increase its strength. Moreover, the closures are red in color and the dimensions of these BD vacutainer tubes are 16 x 100 mm. The construction material of BD 366430 vacutainer venous blood and serum collection tubes is glass which is strong and spill-proof.
BD 367871 Medical Vacutainer Blood Collection Tubes
Price: $545.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367871 medical vacutainers are prepared using good-quality plastic as their construction material. The additive in the tubes is freeze-dried sodium heparin in a concentration of 75 US units. These blood collection tubes are employed to prevent the blood plasma from clotting. Hence, plasma determination becomes easy.
The dimensions of these tubes are 13 x 75 mm with a sample holding capacity of up to 4 ml. Furthermore, the paper labels on the BD 367871 medical vacutainers aid the healthcare provider in keeping a record of the patient’s name and test details.
Moreover, the presence of dark green Hemogard closures protects the blood sample during collection and processing. In addition, it is also easy to connect a double-ended needle to these tubes. Being constructed from plastic, there is also a lesser risk of tube breakage.
BD 362800 Vacutainer PPT Venous Blood Collection Tube
Price: $5,422.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 362800 vacutainers PPT venous blood collection tubes come with pre-filled K2 EDTA as their chemical additive. These tubes are sterile and their construction material is plastic. Being clear in appearance, the contents of the tubes can be visualized with the naked eye during the examination. The dimensions of these BD vacutainer tubes are 16 x 100 mm and these can hold a sample of 8.5 ml with ease.
In addition, these plasma tubes are affixed with pearl white Hemogard closures which do not let the contents spill out. The applications of these vacutainer tubes are vast in coagulation testing as tests like prothrombin time (PT) as well as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) can easily be conducted using these tubes.
BD 367884 Vacutainer Heparin Tubes
Price: $513.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367884 Vacutainer heparin tubes are loaded with an anticoagulant i.e. lithium heparin which aids to keep the blood sample in liquid form. The concentration of the additive in the system is 75 USP units. The construction material of the tubes is plastic.
The Hemogard closures are affixed with the BD 367884 vacutainer heparin tubes. These caps are green in color and are strong enough to limit the exposure of the laboratory staff to the contents of the tubes. This way, contamination is also prevented. In addition, the BD 367884 vacutainer heparin tubes are also suitable for centrifugation.
BD 367985 Vacutainer SST Tubes
Price: $659.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367985 Vacutainer SST tubes are a product of BD Medical. These vacutainer tubes are employed for serum determination. In addition, their role in blood donor screening, evaluation of blood chemistry, as well as in the identification of infectious diseases is also well-established.
The closure system is strong and keeps the components protected. The color of the closures is gold and the construction material is good-quality plastic. The method used for the manufacturing of BD vacutainers is standardized in accordance with the EPA guidelines.
*Note: The prices mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.
All the BD vacutainer tube types mentioned in the article, along with many other medical supplies, can be purchased from Health Supply 770, a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the links given in the article to check out the wide range of BD vacutainer tube types.
Bottom Line
Vacutainers are one of the widely used medical consumables. These are employed to collect, store, and transport blood samples from the patients. All the BD vacutainer tube types are pre-filled with certain additives which are then helpful for the conduction of different tests on the blood sample.
Keeping in view their vast utilization, hospitals and testing labs should keep a stock of vacutainers. Hence, for purchasing any of the BD vacutainer tube types, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.
PhD Scholar (Pharmaceutics), MPhil (Pharmaceutics), Pharm D, B. Sc.
Uzma Zafar is a dedicated and highly motivated pharmaceutical professional currently pursuing her PhD in Pharmaceutics at the Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab. With a comprehensive academic and research background, Uzma has consistently excelled in her studies, securing first division throughout her educational journey.
Uzma’s passion for the pharmaceutical field is evident from her active engagement during her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program, where she not only mastered industrial techniques and clinical case studies but also delved into marketing strategies and management skills.
