{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T13:15:41Z","timestamp":1785417341627,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777680000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004329","name":"Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["P1-0153"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P1-0153"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004329","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["P1-0153"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P1-0153"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/059bp8k51","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Blood collection tubes are widely used medical devices. Inaccurate citrate anticoagulant concentration can influence the results of coagulation tests. The producer\u2019s expertise and responsibility are considered the quality safeguards. However, the tubes undergo changes during their lifecycle, partly due to storage conditions, and the end user or a third party has no comprehensive insight. A methodology is necessary to reveal the tube\u2019s inherent characteristics. We provide insight into the anionic\u2013cationic composition and pH of anticoagulant solutions in commercial tubes using high-performance ion exchange chromatography on a purified water model, making the anticoagulant volume accuracy assessment possible through a direct dye-dilution method. The results revealed differences between the tubes of two producers, Greiner BIO-ONE (A and A(nr)) and BD (C). Tube C has the most accurate anticoagulant amount. Both brands contain buffered citrate. The method of buffer preparation is not a source of interferant for the spectrometric method of the tubes\u2019 quality evaluation. Acetate, formate, chloride, nitrite, sulfate, oxalate, bromide, and nitrate impurities were determined in anticoagulant solutions, all in tube A and some in the others. Tubes C exhibit the highest contamination with cations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31091516","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T00:15:02Z","timestamp":1777853702000},"page":"1516","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Preanalytical Quality Evaluation of Low-Volume Citrate Evacuated Blood Collection Tubes\u2014Anticoagulant Solution Volume Accuracy, pH, and Anionic\u2013Cationic Composition"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8316-8017","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nata\u0161a","family":"Gros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ve\u010dna pot 113, SI1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zala","family":"Hriber\u0161ek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ve\u010dna pot 113, SI1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.21037\/jlpm-25-5","article-title":"Blood collection device components: Issues, innovations, and recommendations for clinical laboratories and manufacturers-a narrative review","volume":"10","author":"Bowen","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. 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