E..... V.a.... Cu... A..t... D .Tu... Bes..
E..... V.a.... Cu... A..t... D .Tu... Bes..
E..... V.a.... Cu... A..t... D .Tu... Bes..
Evacuated tubes (Fig. 2-6) have a premeasured vacuum that automatically draws the
volume of blood indicated on the label. A tube that has lost all or part of its vacuum will fail
to fill with blood or fill incompletely. Vacuum loss can occur if tubes are stored improperly,
opened, dropped, or advanced too far onto the needle before the draw or if the needle bevel
backs out of the skin during the draw. Tube stoppers are colorcoded to identify a type of
additive, absence of
additive, or special tube property. Although generally
universal, color-coding varies slightly by manufacturer.
Table 2-1 lists common stopper colors, additives,
and departments.
Evacuated tubes. (Reprinted with permission from
McCall R, Tankersley C. Phlebotomy essentials. 4th ed. Baltimore,
Md.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008.)
In using cuvettes, Always rinse the cuvette with a couple of portions of the next sample
you are testing before you take a measurement. > Wipe off the outside of the cuvette with a
Kimwipe to remove liquid or fingerprint smudges before you place it in the sample holder.
Never wipe with any other kind of towel or cloth.
Cleaning
Keep glassware clean.
a. Clean immediately after use. The longer glassware sits, the harder it is to clean.
b. Use laboratory-grade detergents for cleaning glassware. Chromic Acid
(dichromate/sulfuric acid mixture) should never be used to clean glassware.
c. Be sure to rinse glassware well.
d. When using brushes, make sure the metal part of the brush does not scratch the glass.
General Cautions
a. Use glassware that is without defect and has smooth edges.
b. Glassware should have no cracks, chips, or scratches. In particular, be wary of star
cracks that can form on the bottom of beakers and flasks. Any glassware with such
cracks should be properly disposed of immediately.
c. All glass tubing should be fire-polished.
d. Never set hot glassware on cold surfaces or in any way change its temperature suddenly.
Even a Pyrex or Kimax beaker will break if cold water is poured into a hot beaker.
http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/safety/handling.html