Q. What happens if a sodium citrate tube is overfilled?

Answer

When collecting blood, the tube could overfill, resulting in an unreliable blood-to-additive ratio and inaccurate findings. Contaminated or incorrectly filled specimen tubes should prompt further investigation into the collecting procedure. If a screening PT or APTT is normal and the patient has a hematocrit of more than 55 percent, then the idea goes, the patient has normal hemostatic findings. The medical director, however, should have the final say since this may represent a departure from usual operating procedure. In order to be considered for approval, changes to a standard operating procedure must be reviewed and approved by the laboratory's medical director or a physician with appropriate laboratory experience.