Proper Patient Identification

All patients should be identified before collection by using two patient identifiers: The patient's full legal name, The patient's date of birth

Specimen Labeling 

All Specimens must be labeled with the patient’s full legal name (first and last name, spelled correctly with no initials), a unique identifier (the unique identifier may be the Date Of Birth, Social Security, Drivers License Number and must be on tube and requistion to qualify as unique identifier), date and time of collection, and the phlebotomist’s (collectors) initials. 

Blood Bank Specimens must be labeled with the patient's full legal name, date of birth and/or social security number, the date and time of the collection, and the phlebotomist's (collector's) initials

Microbiology Specimens must be labeled with the patient’s full legal name, a unique identifier (the unique identifier may be the Date Of Birth, Social Security, Driver's License Number and must be on tube and requisition to qualify as unique identifier), date and time of collection, and must include the site and/or source of collection and any antibiotic therapy history. 

Proper Order to Draw Specimen Tubes (Order of Draw Reference Guide)
When multiple tubes of blood must be drawn, specimens for lab testing should be drawn in the following order: 

Blood Culture Bottles (Aerobic Bottle then Anaerobic Bottle) 
Blue Top Tubes (Additive: Sodium Citrate)
Red Top Tubes (No Additive / Clot Activator)
Gold Top Tubes [SST] (Additive: Gel)
Mint Green Top Tube [PST] (Additive: Gel)
Green Top Tubes (Additive: Lithium Heparin  or Sodium Heparin)
Lavender Top Tubes or Pink Top Tubes (Additive: EDTA) 
Grey Top Tubes (Additive: Sodium Floride Potassium) or Yellow Top Tubes (Additive: ACD Solutions) or Navy Blue Top Tubes (Additives: K2 EDTA or Trace Element)
Black Stopper Top Tube: (Additive; Sodium Citrate) 


***If a blue top tube is collected using a butterfly, a blue discard tube must be drawn first to remove air from line.  If this is not done, the blue top tube will not be filled properly due to the vacuum in tube and a redraw will be required.