How does a Gold Top Tube Different from a Red Top Plain Tube?

Blood collection tubes is a routine but critical process. Various types of blood collection tubes are designed to facilitate specific tests and ensure the integrity of the samples. The gold top tube and the red top plain tube are two common types. Understanding the differences between these tubes is essential for accurate diagnosis and effective patient care.

Understanding the Gold Top Tube

The gold top tube, a serum separator tube (SST), is widely used in clinical laboratories. This tube is characterized by its gold cap and is designed to enhance the quality and reliability of serum specimens.

Additives in the Gold Top Tube

The gold top tube contains a clot activator and a gel for serum separation. The clot activator promotes faster blood clotting, while the gel forms a barrier between the serum and the blood cells upon centrifugation. This separation ensures that the serum remains uncontaminated by cellular components, leading to more accurate test results.

Uses of the Gold Top Tube

The gold top tube is primarily used for serum determinations in chemistry and serology. It is commonly used for:

• Blood Chemistry Tests include liver function tests, renal panels, and lipid profiles.
• Serology Tests: Including tests for antibodies, antigens, and certain viral markers.
• Immunology Tests include hormone levels, vitamins, and other analytes requiring serum.

Understanding the Red Top Plain Tube

The red-top plain tube is another essential component in blood collection. Unlike the gold top tube, the red top tube does not contain any serum separation gel, giving it unique advantages and specific uses.

Additives in the Red Top Plain Tube

The red-top plain tube typically does not contain any additives. It is a plain tube for collecting serum without clot activators or separation gels. This characteristic makes it suitable for tests where additives might interfere with the analysis.

Uses of the Red Top Plain Tube

The red-top plain tube is versatile and is used in various diagnostic tests, including:

• Drug Monitoring: It often monitors therapeutic drug levels, as additives can affect the drug levels
• Toxicology: For tests that require an uncontaminated serum sample.
• Serum Chemistry: For tests where a pure serum sample is critical.

Differences between Gold Top Tubes (SST) and Red Top Tubes

Clot activator and separation gel

The key difference is that the gold top SST tubes on the top contain a clot activator and a special gel on the bottom. The clot activator speeds up blood clotting, and the gel creates a physical barrier between the serum and blood cells during centrifugation. This barrier allows for easier and more efficient separation of serum for testing.

Clotting time

Due to the presence of the clot activator, the blood in the gold-top tube clots faster than in the red-top tube, which does not contain the additive. This faster clotting time speeds up sample processing.

Sample integrity

The separation gel in the SST tube helps maintain the integrity of the serum sample by preventing cellular components from mixing with the serum after centrifugation. This is especially important for certain tests where cellular contamination may affect the results.

Tests Suitable for Gold Top (SST) Tubes

Gold Top tubes facilitate various tests like Red Top tubes. They offer the added advantage of faster sample processing and lower risk of sample contamination.

These Tests Include

Chemiecologystry Tests

SST tubes are often used for various chemistry tests, including liver and kidney function tests, electrolyte levels, and enzyme activity.

Hormone level tests, such as thyroid function tests and cortisol tests, use serum in SST tubes.

Ecology Tests

These tubes are suitable for serology tests that measure antibodies or antigens, such as infectious disease screening (e.g., HIV, hepatitis).

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

Monitoring therapeutic drug levels to ensure they are within the therapeutic range often uses serum from SST tubes.

Immunoassays

Samples obtained from SST tubes can also perform certain serum immunoassays.

Advantages and Considerations:

Efficiency

The clot activator and separation gel in the SST tubes make obtaining serum faster and more efficient, which is critical in a fast-paced clinical environment.

Sample Quality

The separation gel helps maintain the quality of the serum by preventing it from mixing with cellular components, resulting in more accurate test results.

Gold Top Tubes (SST) and Red Top Tubes Comparison Table

Summary

In summary, gold-top SST tubes represent an advancement in blood collection technology, with added coagulants providing faster clotting and better serum separation compared to red-top tubes. Their use in various diagnostic tests highlights the importance of selecting the correct tube type based on the specific requirements of each test to ensure accuracy and reliability in patient care.

FAQ

What are blood collection products?

Blood collection products are medical devices and equipment used in healthcare settings to collect and process blood samples for various purposes, including diagnostic testing, medical procedures, and research. These products include needles, tubes, winged infusion sets, and other equipment designed to ensure safe and effective collection of patient blood samples.

What are Sinymedical’s main blood collection products?

Siny Medical offers a range of high-quality blood collection products, including needles, winged infusion sets, blood transfusion sets, and disposable vacuum blood collection tubes—all of these support customizations.

What are the methods of blood collection?

The three most commonly used blood collection methods are venipuncture, finger puncture, and arterial sampling.

What are the advantages of using Sinymedical blood collection tubes?

Siny medical vacuum blood collection tubes are designed to collect blood directly into the tube during venipuncture. They are a closed system, so they are easy to use, can achieve high-quality blood sample collection, and reduce the risk of blood exposure. Internationally unified colour coding. Convenient for classification and testing.

What are the components of the blood collection system?

It includes blood collection needles, vacuum tubes, and needle holders to ensure a safe and effective blood collection process. Sometimes, blood collection sets may consist of a winged infusion set, commonly called a butterfly needle. This needle has flexible wings on either side of the needle hub, allowing for easier and more consistent blood collection in patients with fragile veins, such as the elderly or children.