Why is it important to allow the light blue tube to be completely filled?

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Multiple Choice

Why is it important to allow the light blue tube to be completely filled?

Explanation:
Maintaining the correct blood-to-anticoagulant ratio in light blue tubes is essential for accurate coagulation testing. These tubes contain sodium citrate to bind calcium and prevent clotting. The recommended ratio is about 9 parts blood to 1 part citrate. If the tube is underfilled, there’s too much citrate relative to the blood, so more calcium is chelated than intended. This makes clotting take longer in the assay, yielding falsely elevated coagulation results. Fully filling the tube preserves the proper ratio and produces reliable PT/aPTT results.

Maintaining the correct blood-to-anticoagulant ratio in light blue tubes is essential for accurate coagulation testing. These tubes contain sodium citrate to bind calcium and prevent clotting. The recommended ratio is about 9 parts blood to 1 part citrate. If the tube is underfilled, there’s too much citrate relative to the blood, so more calcium is chelated than intended. This makes clotting take longer in the assay, yielding falsely elevated coagulation results. Fully filling the tube preserves the proper ratio and produces reliable PT/aPTT results.

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