What is the AC:blood ratio in the light blue top tube?

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Multiple Choice

What is the AC:blood ratio in the light blue top tube?

The key idea here is that coagulation testing relies on a precisely balanced anticoagulant-to-blood ratio in citrate tubes. The light blue top uses citrate to chelate calcium and preserve coagulation factors for PT and aPTT testing. The established ratio is one part anticoagulant to nine parts blood, so the AC:blood ratio is 1:9. This balance prevents premature clotting while allowing accurate recalcification and measurement during the assay. If too much anticoagulant is present, clotting times lengthen artificially; if too little, the blood may clot or yield unreliable results.

The key idea here is that coagulation testing relies on a precisely balanced anticoagulant-to-blood ratio in citrate tubes. The light blue top uses citrate to chelate calcium and preserve coagulation factors for PT and aPTT testing. The established ratio is one part anticoagulant to nine parts blood, so the AC:blood ratio is 1:9. This balance prevents premature clotting while allowing accurate recalcification and measurement during the assay. If too much anticoagulant is present, clotting times lengthen artificially; if too little, the blood may clot or yield unreliable results.

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