For non-fatal cases, how many gray tops and purple tops are typically used for specimen collection?

• A. 2-3 Gray Tops and 1-2 Purple Tops
• B. 1 Gray Top and 3 Purple Tops
• C. 3-4 Gray Tops and 0 Purple Tops
• D. 2 Gray Tops Only

Answer: (A)

In non-fatal cases, collecting enough specimen volume while preserving different types of tests is key. Gray top tubes (fluoride-oxalate) are used for glucose and related chemistry because they stop glycolysis, so you typically draw multiple of these to have enough material for initial testing and possible repeats. Purple top tubes (EDTA) are used for complete blood count and other cellular analyses, so you collect a smaller number of these to provide a ready supply for hematology without over-collection. Putting these together, two to three gray tops and one to two purple tops give enough gray-top material for glucose/chemistry needs and a couple of purple-top samples for CBC and EDTA-based tests without unnecessary venipunctures.