Blood tube additives

The rapid movement in the global phthalates market away from using plasticisers 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in favour of alternative products was underscored recently when BASF revealed plans to close its 2-EH and DEHP plants in Germany. The restructuring in Europe will have no effect on BASF s plasticiser portfolio in Nafta and Asia, however, where the company will continue to offer 2-EH and DEHP. About 70% of the plasticiser maiket volume is phthalates, and plasticisers make up about 60% of the plastic additives maiket. PVC accounts for 80-90% of global plasticiser consumption. In October 2003, California added DEHP to the state s list of more than 750 chemicals known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm. Previous studies had shown that the chemical can leach from plastic bags that contain intravenous fluids, blood, tube feedings or other medical treatment, and thereby enter the bodies of patients. 

Collection with Evacuated Blood Tube Evacuated blood tubes are usually considered to be less expensive and more convenient and easier to use than syringes. There are several types of evacuated tubes used for venipuncture collection. They vary by the type of additive... 

TABLE 2-2 Coding of Stopper Color to Indicate Additive in Evacuated Blood Tube ... 

Whole Blood. It is recommended that the samples be cautiously handled from the start of the collection to maintain integrity and preclude the possibility of contamination, tampering, or mislabeling. All samples should be collected under the close supervision of a health care provider/ physician, and if possible, witnessed by an unbiased observer. Samples should be obtained as soon as possible following the suspected exposure. Additional follow-up samples may be obtained. Blood should be collected in 5 or 7 mL blood tubes. Specific methods may require specific types of tubes, such as purple-top (EDTA) tubes for plasma, or the red-top mbes for serum and vacuum-fill only (unopened). 

Collection time and animal stress traumatic blood draw causing hemolysis and tissue contamination of sample Contamination of samples with tube additives due to carryover ... 

The silicone elastomers possess a high degree of flexibility at low temperatures [to -90°C (-130°F)] and yet are stable to temperatures as high as 250°C (480°F). In addition, they are resistant to weathering and lubricating oils, which makes them particularly desirable for applications in automobile engine compartments. Biocompatibility is another of their assets, and, therefore, they are often employed in medical applications such as blood tubing. A further attractive characteristic is that some silicone rubbers vulcanize at room temperature (RTV rubbers). 

Sample Collection and Enzyme Stability. Serum samples are collected with chemically clean, sterile glassware. Blood is allowed to clot at room temperature, the clot is gently separated from the test tube with an applicator stick, and the blood is centrifuged for 10 minutes at 1,000 g. If the red cells are known to contain the enzymes whose activity is being measured, as in the case of LD, even slightly hemolyzed serums must be discarded. When acid phosphatase is to be measured, the serum should be placed immediately in ice and processed as soon as possible, or it should be acidified by the addition of a small amount of sodium citrate. Anticoagulants such as EDTA, fluoride and oxalate inhibit some serum enzymes. However, heparin activates serum lipoprotein lipase. 

Various additive mixtures have been proposed for inclusion in blood collection tubes to prevent in vitro platelet activation. One formulation involves the use of a mixture of acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD, 1 5 dilution), 30 p-M acetylsalicylic acid... 

Fig. 9. Flow analysis of apoptotic human peripheral blood lymphocytes using direct TUNEL assay. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (1 x 10 ) treated (A) without or (B) with dexamethasone (0.1 ijlM) for 16 h were transferred to a 15-ml tube. Paraformaldehyde (2%) was added to cells with shaking and incubated for 10-15 min in ice with occasional shaking. Cells were washed with PBS with 1% BSA and 3-4 ml cold acetone was then added to cells. After 2-3 min incubation on ice with occasional shaking, cells were washed twice and TUNEL reaction mixture including enzyme TdT and fluorescein-labeled anti-dUTP antibody was added to cells (H). For the negative control group, only label solution without TdT was added to cells ( ). Cells without any addition of reaction or label solution were used for assessment of the autofluorescence ( ). The cell mixture was incubated 1 h at 37°C in the dark. The result of the apoptosis after flow analysis was expressed as a histogram using software CellQuest (Becton Dickinson). In Fig. 9A Ml (nonapoptotic cells), 86% M2 (apoptotic cells), 14%. In Fig. 9B Ml (nonapoptotic cells), 78% M2 (apoptotic cells), 22% (our unpublished data).

Glucagon is extensively degraded in the liver and kidney as well as in plasma and at its tissue receptor sites. Because of its rapid inactivation by plasma, chilling of the collecting tubes and addition of inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes are necessary when samples of blood are collected for immunoassay of circulating glucagon. Its half-life in plasma is between 3 and 6 minutes, which is similar to that of insulin. 

Addition of dried blood is detected by extracting the product with alcohol in the hot and heating the dried insoluble residue in a test-tube if ammo-niacal vapours are emitted, the presence of blood is indicated. 

In addition to their trademark effects on mood and mental status, dextroamphetamines significantly influence the cardiovascular system. They increase the heart rate and boost blood pressure. They are also weak bron-chodilators—meaning they open the bronchial tubes (air... 

PBS and gently blotted to remove blood and tissue fluids, then suspended over the lip of a small (250 pi) microcentrifuge tube and punctured with a needle to allow the bile to drain into the tube. Store frozen until assay. There is usually enough material to measure lipid composition (bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids) with standard colorimetric kits (<1 pi needed for each assay). In addition to biliary cholesterol levels, it is important to take note of bile salt concentrations, since these are the detergents which suspend dietary lipids in micelles and deliver them to the intestinal epithelium for absorption by enterocytes. Differences in bile salt concentration alone could lead to differences in cholesterol absorption. 

Cobalt was determined in vitamin B12, liver, blood and urine after chelation with heptafluorodimethyloctanedione [643]. The sample was rendered alkaline and, after the addition of hydrogen peroxide, was heated with a benzene solution of the chelating agent in a sealed test-tube at 75°C. After the removal of excess of the chelating agent by washing with alkali, aliquots were injected into a chromatograph equipped with an ECD. The detection limit was reported to be 4.4 10-11 g of cobalt. 

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