What Are Vacutainers and How Do They Work?
If you have ever been asked to give a blood sample, you must be familiar with vacutainers. First developed in 1947, vacutainers are the blood collection tubes that draw and store blood for testing and analysis. These are smaller in size, lightweight, easy to carry, and hold the sample safety so that it can be transported from the collection center to the lab. However, due to their multiple types, people often get confused about their use.
In this article, let us discuss in detail what vacutainers are, what their types are, and how they work.
What are Vacutainers?
Vacutainers are sterile tubes that are used for collecting blood samples. These are made up of either glass or plastic and have rubber stoppers which are safety-engineered and create the necessary vacuum seal within the tube. These stoppers are also color-coded to indicate the contents present in the vacutainers. These vacutainers are currently manufactured and marketed by Becton Dickinson (BD).
Vacutainers for Blood Collection: Types
Different types of vacutainers are filled with different kinds of salts and solutions. This is because the sample which is to be collected needs to be treated differently. Each vacutainer has a solution that mixes with the blood and prepares it for a particular laboratory test. These different types of vacutainers along with their composition and uses have been enlisted in the following table:
| Types of Vacutainers | Composition | Uses |
| Blood Culture Bottle | Sodium polyanethol sulfonate (anticoagulant) | Blood sample collection |
| Red | Absence of anticoagulants or any other additives | Serological examination |
| Grey | Has sodium fluoride | Estimation of glucose |
| Purple/Lavender | Contains EDTA | Hematological examination e.g. ESR, hemogram, etc. |
| Yellow | Acid-citrate-dextrose | Employed for bone culture, DNA studies, HIV culture, tissue typing |
| Light Blue | Contains 3.2% of sodium citrate as an anticoagulant (in 1:9) | Coagulation studies including prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT) |
| Gold | Clot activator and serum-separating gel | Endocrine and serological tests e.g. hepatitis, HIV, etc. |
| Orange | Clot activator and serum-separating gel | Rapid serum separation |
| Dark Green | Sodium heparin (anticoagulant) | Chromosome testing, ammonia, lactate, HLA typing |
| Light Green | Lithium heparin anticoagulant and plasma separator gel | Collection of plasma |
| Pink | K2 EDTA anticoagulant | Blood typing, cross-matching, HIV viral load, direct Coombs test |
| Royal or Navy Blue | EDTA anticoagulant | Toxicology, trace elements, and heavy metal analysis |
| Tan | Sodium EDTA anticoagulant | Estimation of lead |
| White | EDTA anticoagulant and separating gel | PCR for HHV-6, toxoplasma, adenovirus |
| Black | Sodium citrate | Pediatric ESR |
How Do Vacutainers Work and How To Use Them?
Using a vacutainer for drawing blood is a simple and safe method. It involves the following steps:
· Attach the vacutainer with a needle. The needles used with a vacutainer are double-ended, one end is inserted into the vein while the other is fixed into a rubber sleeve and attached to the vacutainer. The holder keeps the assembly intact.
· Locate the vein from which the sample is to be drawn and insert the needle into it. It is important to maintain the stability of the needle in the vein.
· As soon as the needle is in the vein, the vacuum generated in the vacutainer tube applies a pulling force on the blood. As a result, the blood starts filling into the tube via the needle.
· If the blood is not coming out automatically, retracting or advancing the needle might help.
· Once the blood has been collected, draw the needle out slowly.
Advantages of Using Vacutainers
Vacutainers provide the following advantages:
· Vacutainers find extensive application in phlebotomy which involves drawing blood samples from the veins.
· The products have previously added additives that mix with the blood sample and prepare it for testing.
· With the use of vacutainers, the chances of hemolysis or rupturing of blood cells are also significantly reduced.
· Vacutainers also allow multi-tube draws. This way, multiple vacutainers can be attached one after the other using a single needle.
· Apart from the standard glass version, vacutainers also come in a plastic option to reduce the risk of tube breakage.
· As vacutainer blood tubes do not let the blood sample come in direct contact with the nurses or phlebotomists, the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens is minimized.
· The collected blood samples in the vacutainers can easily be subjected to centrifugation to separate plasma from blood cells.
Vacutainer Blood Collecting Tubes at Health Supply 770: Products and Specifications
Vacutainers are primarily manufactured by BD, a leading medical devices and equipment manufacturing company. As these vacutainers come in many different types, their wide range is available at Health Supply 770. Some of these products have been discussed below along with their prices and purchase links:
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 manufactured by BD. These are plain and do not contain any additives. The closure attached to the tube is conventional and the coating done on the tube is of silicone.
The color code of the closure is red and the tube has a dimension of 16 x 100 mm. These vacutainers are prepared from glass and come in sterile form. Their appearance is clear so the sample can be observed with the naked eye easily. The capacity of a single tube is 10 ml.
BD 367884 Vacutainer Heparin Tubes
Price: $513.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367884 Vacutainer heparin tube by BD Medical, a company that is not only the inventor of vacutainers but also the worldwide leader in manufacturing sample collection tubes. These lithium heparin tubes are suitable for blood collection as they prevent the blood from clotting. The concentration of lithium heparin in these vacutainers is 75 USP units. As a result, the sample removed from the veins remains in liquid form and testing becomes easy.
The green rubber closures attached to these BD 367884 vacutainers heparin tubes are BD Hemogard type strong and keep the tube spill-proof. Moreover, the paper strip attached to the tube allows the healthcare provider to mention the patient’s name or the type of test on the vacutainers.
BD 367985 Vacutainer SST Tubes
Price: $659.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367985 Vacutainer SST tubes are particularly designed for serum analysis. These tubes have spray-coated silica which helps the blood to clot. In addition, a polymer gel is also present which allows the separation of the serum.
These vacutainers have gold rubber closures. The purpose of their use is the determination of serum parameters and their chemistry. In addition, the tube is also ideal for blood donor screening and for confirming infectious diseases.
The BD 367985 Vacutainer SST tubes are prepared with High-quality plastic while following a manufacturing process based on the EPA guidelines. Furthermore, it is also easy to dispose of these tubes once their job is done.
BD 367871 Medical Vacutainer Blood Collection Tubes
Price: $545.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367871 medical vacutainers are made up of plastic and have sodium heparin as their reagent in a concentration of 75 USP units. Their dimensions are 13 x 75 mm and they can withdraw and hold 4 ml of blood sample. These vacutainers also some with paper labels on them so that the name of the patient or the test can be mentioned.
The Hemogard closures attached are dark green and are strong enough to prevent the blood sample from spillage. An extra layer of protection is provided by the Hemogard closure which ensures the safety of the healthcare staff while dealing with blood samples as well as other bodily fluids. Due to the presence of freeze-dried sodium heparin, these vacutainers help in the determination of plasma.
BD 367922 Vacutainer Fluoride Tubes
Price: $404.88 (Per case/1000 pieces)
Product Details
BD 367922 vacutainers fluoride tubes have a dimension of 13 x 75 mm. These vacutainers are designed to hold up to 4 ml of blood samples. The chemical agent present in these tubes is powdered sodium fluoride along with potassium oxalate. The concentration of both the chemical components is 0.8 mg and 10.0 mg respectively.
The construction material of these vacutainers is plastic which keeps the blood sample secure and prevents spillage as well as accidental tube breakage. The Hemogard closures as well as the rubber stoppers provide additional protection. This way, even the minute drops of blood do not leave the tube and spill out.
The primary purpose of using the BD 367922 vacutainer fluoride tubes is the determination of glucose in the collected blood samples. Each pack of BD 367922 vacutainers fluoride tubes contains 100 pieces and a case comes with 10 such pieces.
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 K2 EDTA added in them as their chemical reagent. As this reagent is known for facilitating coagulation tests, the collected blood sample can easily be subjected to diagnostic tests which include prothrombin time (PT) as well as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT).
These plasma tubes are sterile and have a clear appearance which enables the healthcare provider to check the sample with the naked eye while doing visual inspection.
The dimensions of the tubes are 16 x 100 mm and these have a capacity of up to 8.5 ml. The closures are Hemogard which ensures proper sealing of the tube as these closures are known for effectively preventing spillage. The color in which the rubber closure is coded is pearlescent white.
BD 364943 Vacutainer Urine Collection Straw
Price: $325.88 (Per case/200 pieces)
Product Details
BD 364943 Vacutainer urine collection straw has a tube size of 16 mm x 100 mm. The product has the capacity to hold a sample of 8 ml. The closures of the vacutainers have three colors indicating three types. These include red, yellow, and conventional tubes.
The chemical agents that these vacutainers contain include ethylparaben, chlorhexidine, and sodium propionate. A case of these vacutainers can be purchased at the given price which contains 200 pieces.
*Note: The prices mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.
All vacutainers 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 vacutainers.
Bottom Line
To confirm the presence or absence of a disease, the physicians often prescribe blood work. For taking blood samples to conduct the necessary tests, vacutainers are often employed. These are the blood collection tubes that enable the healthcare professional to collect the sample easily.
The system also does not spill blood and thus protects the healthcare staff from potential infections. Apart from aiding the lab tests, the item is also excellent for taking samples for research use where the concentration of certain medicines in the blood can be estimated. Overall, the product is of top quality and very useful in every healthcare facility.
For purchasing vacutainers, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.
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