Almost every visit to a therapist or any other doctor ends with the need for a blood test. Most often, this process is accompanied by excitement and discomfort, as well as feelings about the quality, sterility of the devices and the reliability of the information that the results of the fences will give. Since medicine and the technical industry do not stand still, every modern hospital and laboratory is equipped with the proper materials and devices. Their quality and modernity provide painless and comfortable, and most importantly, safe passage of tests for human health. Among modern analysis equipment, vacuum tubes for blood sampling should be noted.
What kind of test tubes are these?
It is worth noting that any modern equipment and equipping laboratories with it greatly simplifies and speeds up the work of the staff of the institution. Over the past few years, in the process of high-quality and quick blood sampling, conventional laboratory tubes have given way to vacuum "brothers." Vacuum tubes are elongated thin hollow bowls in the form of a tube with a rounded bottom and a special sealed lid. Modern vacuum blood collection tubes work according to the principle of the action of volumetric vacuum, into which the required and pre-determined amount of blood is absolutely sterilized. Vacuum tubes always come with a medical tourniquet, needles and holder.
What are vacuum blood collection tubes made of?
These blood test containers are factory-made and delivered to hospitals and clinics in sealed form. They are distributed according to the reagents and additives that are already inside them. Vacuum test tubes for collecting blood consist of plastic, specialized glass and polyethylene terephthalate. Photos and instructions on the packaging indicate the purpose of a specific device. Polyethylene terephthalate is the best material for such devices, because it is a biologically inert plastic. This means that it does not in any way affect the results of the study and does not enter into chemical reactions with additives. Capacities differ in the color of the lid and have clear instructions on how to use them. In addition, the main feature of these tubes is the dosed blood sampling for the study.
Benefits of Vacuum Tubes
The main advantages of vacuum tubes is that the blood sampling process with their help is absolutely sterile and quick. Also, perhaps the most significant positive point in the operation of such devices is that they initially contain a number of chemical elements that are necessary for the diagnosis and determination of a particular indicator. It is enough just to determine which indicator you want to find out, select a test tube that is marked with a mark corresponding to the world standard, and take a blood sample with the help of a medical professional. Due to the fact that the technique of blood sampling by vacuum tubes does not imply direct contact with blood, this process is considered absolutely safe. Taking the material for analysis is absolutely no different from the classical one, which takes place using a syringe and a needle.
How to use these devices?
How is blood taken by vacuum tubes? The algorithm of actions in the first paragraph assumes the correct selection of devices with appropriate labeling analysis. After determining the purpose of the device, the nurse in the laboratory prints the package with it, wraps the disposable needle with one side in the holder’s place in the test tube, and punctures it in the other end with a vein. First you need to put a medical tourniquet on the arm above the elbow and treat the location of the vein with a sterilizer. After the needle is inserted, it is necessary to wait until the venous blood is taken directly by vacuum tubes intended for any examination. The test tube is designed in such a way that it will take only the amount of blood that is needed for a specific analysis. Further, without removing the needle from the vein, the nurse disconnects the container with blood. Such manipulation is painless and does not leave bruises and blood streaks. After sealing the container with biological fluid, the puncture site is treated with an antiseptic. On this, the blood sampling process can be considered completed.
Examination of serum using these tubes and various excipients
Depending on the color marking, the complex of chemical elements that fill the vacuum tubes for blood sampling is filled. Such filling makes it easy to determine a particular indicator.
For example, serum test tubes are colored red. They are filled with dry matter, which activates the formation of a blood clot, thereby accelerating the coagulation process. Such devices are used in immunology, microbiology and clinical chemistry analyzes.
What are filler tubes used for?
Among laboratory vacuum tubes, there are those that are available without filler. Vacuum tubes for blood sampling without any chemical compounds inside are most often used to transport biological fluids. However, the option of blood sampling by such hollow devices is not excluded. Their inside is treated with substances that prevent the occurrence of hemolysis or the adhesion process. These tubes have a red cap.
How to study ESR with their help?
Test tubes for the study of ESR in the blood is a set of containers with a solution of sodium citrate inside. Blood is drawn, which is then distributed into four fractions. Blood tubes must be shaken well in order to saturate the biological fluid with the chemical composition that is inside, and there are a number of reactions with it that help determine
the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The principle of operation of such tubes corresponds to the Westergren method.
The use of vacuum tubes in pediatrics
Vacuum tubes for blood sampling are often used in pediatrics. They contain a number of chemical additives, which are mainly intended for the storage of biological fluids. It should be noted that any doctor will be able to operate such a test tube. It is completely mechanized and safe. After blood sampling, the needle automatically goes inside the tube, leaving no chance to re-inject. For a child, the procedure for taking biological fluid is less painful than using a regular (without silicone) needle and syringe. This facilitates manipulation, as children behave more restrained.
How are they used in veterinary practice?
In veterinary medicine, these tubes are in great demand, as it is necessary to examine
cattle and other domestic animals every season. Vacuum tubes for blood sampling in animals consist of the following components:
- vacuum tube with cap;
- needle holder;
- double-sided needle.
Such a system for blood sampling has several positive aspects that facilitate the work of a veterinarian.
- Using these tubes, you can use the blood from the tail vein. This allows the specialist to collect material for laboratory analysis without the help of assistants.
- The sampling time does not exceed 30 seconds, which allows the doctor to diagnose many animals. This is especially true in spring and autumn.
- Reduced animal stress. It does not have to be fixed by force, thereby causing damage to his skin.
- The system itself is designed so that the animal almost does not feel pain (thanks to the silicone on the needle) and there is no spraying when taking blood.
- In a vacuum test tube, blood does not contact the environment: it gets there under sterile conditions (in the classic case with a syringe, it is more likely that microbes can enter the biological fluid), it is transported to a veterinary laboratory, processed and examined without opening the tube. This allows you to get reliable results.