# Phlebotomy Exam Prep 11, EDTA (Lavender) Tube — Uses and Mechanism

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Podcast: [Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep](https://stenobird.com/podcast/nursing-healthcare-exam-prep-7652377)
Published: 2026-05-08T22:25:11+00:00
Episode link: https://open-exam-prep.com/
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/27c5f020-37c7-4398-ab85-30fd8d4bae7b.mp3
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Duration seconds: 183

## Resource

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - EDTA's mechanism of action is chelating calcium ions, which is an essential step in the blood clotting cascade. - The lavender-top tube is crucial for hematology tests like the CBC and ESR because EDTA preserves the natural size and shape of blood cells. - Immediately after drawing, the tube must be inverted 8-10 times to thoroughly mix the blood and anticoagulant, preventing microclots. - A common exam trap is underfilling the tube, which increases the EDTA-to-blood ratio and causes red blood cell shrinkage, leading to inaccurate results like a falsely low hematocrit. - K2 EDTA is generally preferred over K3 EDTA for hematology studies as it has a lesser impact on red blood cell volume. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep

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