What laboratory tests are performed on blood collected in gold tubes?

What laboratory tests are performed on blood collected in gold tubes?

• A. Hematology Counts
• B. Microbiology Cultures
• C. Chemistry Tests on the Serum
• D. Blood Typing

Answer: (C)

Gold-top tubes are serum separator tubes (SSTs). They contain a clot activator and a gel that forms a barrier after centrifugation, giving you serum—the liquid portion left after the blood clots. Many chemistry tests are run on this serum because it provides a clean, cell-free matrix and removes clotting factors that could interfere with certain assays. Hematology counts, on the other hand, need whole blood that has not clotted, so those tests use tubes with anticoagulants rather than SSTs. Microbiology cultures require sterile specimens and specific culture media, not serum. Blood typing can involve serum or plasma in different contexts, but the SST is primarily used for chemistry panels.

Gold-top tubes are serum separator tubes (SSTs). They contain a clot activator and a gel that forms a barrier after centrifugation, giving you serum—the liquid portion left after the blood clots. Many chemistry tests are run on this serum because it provides a clean, cell-free matrix and removes clotting factors that could interfere with certain assays. Hematology counts, on the other hand, need whole blood that has not clotted, so those tests use tubes with anticoagulants rather than SSTs. Microbiology cultures require sterile specimens and specific culture media, not serum. Blood typing can involve serum or plasma in different contexts, but the SST is primarily used for chemistry panels.