Phlebotomy Exam Prep 12, Sodium Citrate (Light Blue) Tube — Coag Testing

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The light blue (sodium citrate) tube requires a precise 9:1 blood-to-anticoagulant ratio for accurate coagulation testing. - Underfilling a light blue tube creates an excess of anticoagulant, which leads to falsely prolonged clotting times and an artificially elevated INR. - Key coagulation tests performed using the light blue tube include PT/INR, PTT/aPTT, fibrinogen, and D-dimer. - A discard tube is mandatory when using a butterfly (winged infusion) set if the light blue tube is the first or only tube drawn, in order to purge air from the tubing and ensure a full draw. - The mnemonic "Blue's Clues: Nine to one or the test is done" is a helpful way to remember the critical fill ratio. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep