Gray on ice?

tencat · Jul 3, 2006

Hmmm....I really have no idea, but I'll take a stab at it. Is it a blood gas sample? Do they go in a gray top tube? I know they go on ice. Just a thought.

Trauma Columnist · Jul 3, 2006

Grey on ice in our ER meant you draw blood in the gray-topped tube, label it and place on ice. In our facility, you could get a lactic acid or ABG's from it.

steelcityrn, RN · Jul 3, 2006

yup....ditto

TazziRN, RN · Jul 3, 2006

Yep....draw in a grey top, put it on ice.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jul 3, 2006

Grey top, put it on ice here as well.

suebird3 · Jul 3, 2006

Our lab uses green tops on ice. Oh, well!

Suebird

cardiac.cure03 · Jul 3, 2006

Oh... Ok.

So... Why do you put some on ice and some not?

How do you know whether you put it on ice or not?

Pedi-ER-RN, RN · Jul 3, 2006

At my facility Gray on ice=lactic acid, green on ice=ammonia level. If we draw a gas (arterial or venous) and resp is not right there to get it, we put the gas syringe on ice. If you have questions re labs at your facility, contact the lab and they should be able to tell you which tests go in what tube and what needs to be iced. Also, rely on some of the veteran nurses, they won't steer you wrong. It doesn't take a long time drawing labs to get the hang of what goes in what. I made a list that I kept with me while I was on orientation. Of course, there are always those odd ball tests that nobody can remember which tube and how much, that's when I call the lab.

busykim · Jul 3, 2006

:yeahthat:

At my facility Gray on ice=lactic acid, green on ice=ammonia level. If we draw a gas (arterial or venous) and resp is not right there to get it, we put the gas syringe on ice. If you have questions re labs at your facility, contact the lab and they should be able to tell you which tests go in what tube and what needs to be iced. Also, rely on some of the veteran nurses, they won't steer you wrong. It doesn't take a long time drawing labs to get the hang of what goes in what. I made a list that I kept with me while I was on orientation. Of course, there are always those odd ball tests that nobody can remember which tube and how much, that's when I call the lab.

TazziRN, RN · Jul 3, 2006

Oh... Ok.
So... Why do you put some on ice and some not?
How do you know whether you put it on ice or not?

If you're ever in doubt about whether or not to ice something, call the lab.

Some specimens are iced to keep it from breaking down before you can get a result.

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2006

At my facility Gray on ice=lactic acid, green on ice=ammonia level. If we draw a gas (arterial or venous) and resp is not right there to get it, we put the gas syringe on ice. If you have questions re labs at your facility, contact the lab and they should be able to tell you which tests go in what tube and what needs to be iced. Also, rely on some of the veteran nurses, they won't steer you wrong. It doesn't take a long time drawing labs to get the hang of what goes in what. .

This is the same as at my Facility

Mary Ann