Phlebotomy Plan

CPT practice question: Routine Blood Collections

Routine Blood CollectionsDifficulty 2/5

Following the CLSI order of draw, which tube is collected immediately after the blood culture bottle?

  1. AThe sodium citrate tube, identified by a light blue closure
  2. BThe EDTA tube, identified by a lavender or pink closure
  3. CThe serum separator tube, identified by a gold closure
  4. DThe glycolytic inhibitor tube, identified by a gray closure
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. CLSI places the coagulation tube second, straight after blood cultures. The sequence runs cultures, citrate, serum with clot activator and gel, heparin, EDTA, then fluoride-oxalate last.

  • B — EDTA sits fifth. Drawing it early risks carrying potassium and EDTA into later tubes.
  • C — Serum tubes with clot activator sit third, after the citrate tube, not before it.
  • D — The glycolytic inhibitor tube is drawn last in the sequence, not second.

Concept being tested

28 of the 100 scored items and the second largest domain. Equipment selection and verification, needle gauges and lengths, adapting technique for patients with burns, dementia or bleeding disorders, tourniquet application and removal, site selection by observation and palpation, antisepsis, anchoring the vein, needle insertion angle, following the order of draw for both venipuncture and capillary collection, recognising and responding to complications such as syncope, hematoma, petechiae and nerve pain, needle safety devices, tube inversion, dermal puncture, post-procedural care and labelling. — 28% of the exam. Study guide for Routine Blood Collections.

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Primary references

  1. Order of Blood Draw Tubes and Additives — Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
  2. NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) — Test Plan for the CPT Exam — National Healthcareer Association (NHA) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07Reviewed by: Maria Torres, CPT, RMA (AMT), Clinical laboratory educator & venipuncture safety reviewHow we verify facts