Sometimes they take 4 vials, sometimes they can take up to 13 or so. Why is that? Is it **only** because they run different tests on different vials or they also compare stuff to make sure samples are not compromised?
In: 4
At least in part because of the different tests they may be running. Some may need their own vial for volume and solution reasons, some may just need larger volumes and depending on why you’re getting blood drawn may dictate different tests getting run.
So there’s a few reasons for needing extra vials, they all come down to what the different tests are and practicalities of running them.
– some tests need different vials because the vials have different other substances to add to the blood in preparation for different tests (blood count and clotting studies require specific tubes)
– some tests require different preparation conditions – may need to be done faster, spun immediately etc.
– some tests will be done if different locations, so need a dedicated vials for transport
– some tests need quite a lot of blood, or are more accurate with more blood
– some tests are run in batches and need some blood left over in case they need to be run again (some low likelihood things might get run in lots of 10 to reduce costs, but if it turns up a positive they need to individually test each of the 10 – this was common early on for covid testing when rates were low).
– they give themselves a little spare – in case a test fails, something is dropped or lost etc. This also allows your doc to add tests on after the fact – if your blood count is off, they might add on an iron test even though they didn’t plan on doing it at first.
This may not be complete, I’ve done blood collecting but not worked the lab end before.
What the top post already said was great. But if they’re taking 13 tubes, the physician ordered a crap ton of tests. With that many tubes, you’re typically getting a lot of specialty tests that get sent out to Labcorp or Quest. In that case, you’re going to get one or two tubes for each test, even if they could otherwise be shared/split just because you don’t want to get a QNS and have to recollect.
Then sometimes you’ll get someone newer who doesn’t know their facility can do an iron panel on the same tube as a renal panel and they’ll get one tube per test, so your total tubes goes up.
Sometimes you’ll have 8 tests, but they’re all chemistries done in house, and thus can be done on 1 tube. Or you can have 8 tests which all need a different tube and different departments, needing 8 tubes.
So there are several factors. The number of tests, the amount of departments those tests are going to, are they send outs, does the phleb like to get extra…
Latest Answers