Medical Assistant Certification (MAC) AMCA Practice Exam

What color tube is most appropriate for a blood donation?

1. Red

2. Lavender

3. Light green

4. Pink

The correct answer is: Red

The red tube is most appropriate for blood donation because it typically contains no additives, making it ideal for collecting serum. When blood is drawn for donation, the primary goal is often to separate the blood components after clotting, allowing for the use of the serum in various therapies and transfusions. This tube type is particularly useful for tests that require serum since it facilitates clot formation, after which the serum can be easily separated by centrifugation. The other colors of tubes contain different additives that serve specific purposes. For instance, lavender tubes contain EDTA, an anticoagulant that prevents blood from clotting, and are primarily used for hematology tests. Light green tubes usually contain lithium heparin, also an anticoagulant, and are used for certain chemistry tests that require plasma. Pink tubes contain EDTA and are commonly utilized for blood bank and crossmatch testing. While each of these tubes serves important functions in the lab, they are not suitable for the broader requirements of blood donation, where the focus is on serum collection without any additives.