Which heparin formulation is most widely used?

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The test is about which heparin form is most commonly used for routine plasma determination in the clinical lab. Lithium heparin is the formulation most widely used in practice because it provides effective anticoagulation with minimal interference for a broad range of plasma chemistry tests and is well compatible with automated analyzers. The lithium ion tends not to interfere significantly with many assays, and the tube type is convenient for numerous tests without causing substantial dilution or ionic interference. In contrast, other forms like sodium, ammonium, or magnesium heparin can affect certain measurements or assay chemistry, making them less preferred for general use.