BD Vacutainer® tubes for coagulation analysis

The importance of the correct ratio of blood to additive is well documented for coagulation samples. The correct fill level is critical for correct coagulation analyses in citrate tubes. All BD Vacutainer® Plus plastic coagulation tubes have a marker indicating the minimum fill level. According to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines, analytical values for coagulation tests are clinically equivalent if the tube fill volume is up to 10% below the nominal volume of the tube specification. The filling mark on our plastic coagulation tubes indicates the minimum blood volume required for clinically equivalent analysis values - this enables the nursing staff to check whether the citrate tube is sufficiently filled immediately after blood collection and, if necessary, to reattach the tube and fill it further. As this is a marking of the minimum filling level, the actual filling level of the tubes will usually be above the filling mark. The marking serves as a visual aid and has no influence on the handling of the coagulation tubes. The filling mark is engraved in the tube in such a way that the inner wall of the tube is not changed.