What Tube for a Lipid panel?
Serum separator tube (gold) or a plasma separator tube (light green), depending on the lab.
- Additive
- Clot activator (SST also has gel)
- Inversions
- 5 times
- Order of draw
- #3 of 6
Lab-to-lab variation: Serum or heparin plasma, by lab.
Collection and handling
- Invert the SST 5 times and let it clot before centrifuging.
- Fasting is lab-dependent: ARUP lists a 12–15 hour fast, while many labs now accept non-fasting samples.
Exam tip
Ask the patient whether they followed the fasting instructions they were given, and note it on the requisition if they did not.
Where it falls in the order of draw
- 1. Blood culture bottles (aerobic + anaerobic) (Culture media)
- 2. Light blue (3.2% sodium citrate)
- 3. Gold / red-gray (SST) or red (Clot activator (SST also has gel))
- 4. Green / light green (PST) (Lithium heparin (PST also has gel))
- 5. Lavender (or pink) (K2EDTA)
- 6. Gray (Sodium fluoride / potassium oxalate)
Full explanation in the order of draw guide.
Tube requirements differ between labs and assays. Always follow your own laboratory's collection manual.
Drill tubes and order of draw until they stick
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