What type of specimen does a red topped tube produce?

What type of specimen does a red topped tube produce?

• A. Plasma
• B. Serum
• C. Whole blood
• D. White blood cells

Answer: (B)

A red-topped tube is used primarily for collecting blood specimens that are meant for serum testing. When blood is drawn into a red-topped tube, it lacks any anticoagulants, which allows the blood to clot. After the blood clots, it is centrifuged, and the liquid portion that remains above the cells is serum. Serum contains various substances, such as electrolytes, hormones, and proteins, making it suitable for many laboratory tests. In contrast, while plasma is obtained from blood that has been treated with an anticoagulant and contains the clotting factors, the red-topped tube does not contain such substances. Whole blood consists of blood in its entirety, including cells and plasma, but this type of tube is not designed to retain cells in the same way. White blood cells are a subset of the components found in whole blood but do not specifically relate to the type of specimen the red-topped tube produces. Thus, the red-topped tube is definitively used to collect serum, validating that serum is the produced specimen type.

A red-topped tube is used primarily for collecting blood specimens that are meant for serum testing. When blood is drawn into a red-topped tube, it lacks any anticoagulants, which allows the blood to clot. After the blood clots, it is centrifuged, and the liquid portion that remains above the cells is serum. Serum contains various substances, such as electrolytes, hormones, and proteins, making it suitable for many laboratory tests.

In contrast, while plasma is obtained from blood that has been treated with an anticoagulant and contains the clotting factors, the red-topped tube does not contain such substances. Whole blood consists of blood in its entirety, including cells and plasma, but this type of tube is not designed to retain cells in the same way. White blood cells are a subset of the components found in whole blood but do not specifically relate to the type of specimen the red-topped tube produces. Thus, the red-topped tube is definitively used to collect serum, validating that serum is the produced specimen type.