PET or glass, clear. Lithium Heparin/Sodium Heparin tubes.

• Centrifugation conditions: ≤1300xg for 10 minutes at 18 to 25 °C
• Transparent or paper label

BD Vacutainer® plasma tubes for clinical chemistry are available with spray-dried sodium heparin or lithium heparin additives. Heparin acts as an anticoagulant as it develops an antithrombin complex.

The optimum anticoagulation is achieved in all BD Vacutainer® tubes by the use of 17 IU pharmaceutical grade heparin per mL of blood when the fill level is correct. The lithium heparin in BD Vacutainer® tubes is spray dried onto the inner walls of the tubes using a special procedure so that the additive is evenly distributed to achieve the best possible solubility. For clinical chemistry, lithium heparin is generally preferred over sodium heparin.