Sodium citrate blood specimen collection (light blue top) tubes are hard to source because of an increase in demand and recent vendor supply challenges, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As a result, the FDA added these tubes (product codes GIM and JKA) to the section 506J device shortage list during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The agency recommends that labs consider the following conservation strategies:
· Do not include sodium citrate (light blue top) tubes in routine collections of a variety of specimens at the time of other blood sampling or IV insertion.
· Do not use sodium citrate (light blue top) tubes unless medically necessary.
· Do not use sodium citrate (light blue top) tubes as discard tubes; consider clear top or red stopper (no additive) tubes as an alternative.
· Limit allocation of 1.8mL sodium citrate (light blue top) tubes for difficult blood collections.
