In the order of draw for venipuncture, which tube should be drawn after blood cultures?

After blood cultures, the light blue tube is the correct choice for the order of draw in venipuncture. The primary reason for this sequence is to prevent contamination of the samples. Blood cultures are typically drawn first to detect any microorganisms in the bloodstream, and it is crucial to ensure that subsequent samples are not affected by additives or substances that can interfere with the tests.

The light blue tube contains sodium citrate as an anticoagulant, which is used for coagulation studies. Following blood cultures, it is essential to collect coagulation samples next to avoid cross-contamination from other additives found in different tubes, such as those containing gel or other anticoagulants. Maintaining the correct order helps ensure that each test provides accurate and reliable results, which is critical for patient diagnosis and management.

Other types of tubes, such as those containing gel or heparin, should be drawn later since their additives could interfere with the coagulation tests done using the light blue tube. Therefore, following blood cultures with the light blue tube is standard practice in the phlebotomy protocol.