Blue top shortage

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Hi All!

This question isn't strictly POCT, but I thought you might have some insight. Our lab is having trouble getting ahold of blue top tubes. We were told there's a shortage going on. Is anyone else having this problem?

If so, I'm curious how your lab is working around this.

Thank you in advance!
Travis Cluckey

15 Replies

Angie Glomb

Thu May 06, 2021 at 2:52PM

Yes, same problem in Chicago. We are attempting to locate any BD sodium citrates across the country. (1.8ml were previously not in production and now 2.7ml are becoming hard to procure).

Anyone know if Greiner is still recalled/backordered?

Michelle Wilcox

Thu May 06, 2021 at 2:53PM

Hello from Vermont! This was the topic of discussion during our admin team meeting just this past Monday.
We are seeing the shortage as well. We have requested that the ER no longer draw JIC blue top tubes on patients and requested pharmacy take a look at their coumadin monitoring of inpatients and be judicious with their ordering practices. Our Coumadin clinic that runs POC testing has ordered in extra stock of test strips (JIC) and is working with our VNA to increase POC testing through the clinic where appropriate for their patients. We were able to get a stock of the pediatric draw tubes and have been using those for our ICU patients and have also requested our high use docs to be more prudent with their ordering practices. We will see how it goes!
And Angie... we use Greiner tubes and as of Monday....still backordered.

Michelle E. Wilcox, MT (ASCP), CPP

Safety Resource Officer

Point of Care Coordinator

Department of Laboratory Services

Rutland Regional Medical Center

160 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701

Phone: 802.747.1781 Fax: 802.772.2682

mewilcox@rrmc.org, www.rrmc.org

Travis Cluckey

Thu May 06, 2021 at 2:55PM

There are 24 cases of sodium citrate for the west coast per a discussion with BD and our materials management team. There's nothing available from Greiner.

Sandra Washington

Thu May 06, 2021 at 2:56PM

Yes there is a shortage. I dont know if we are affected as yet or what the lab is doing about it.

Tom Nichols

Thu May 06, 2021 at 3:24PM

Hello, there is a nationwide shortage. We're considering a few options in no particular order:
1) possibly leverage Hemochron or i-STAT in the hospital where/if possible
2) ask outpatient clinics and hospital units within our system to check their stocks of light blue tops that aren't in use
3) ask waived outpatient clinics who have Roche CoaguCheks for INR to rely on POC testing more heavily
3) ask all units and clinics to sequester expired blue tops - medical director exemption for use of expired materials

Travis Cluckey

Thu May 06, 2021 at 3:38PM

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate your feedback. We are planning similar things in our lab: using the i-STAT as an alternative where we can, and asking clinics and departments in the hospitals to check their stocks.

Reine Makiya

Thu May 06, 2021 at 3:41PM

Hi, we are experiencing the shortage as well. It's especially critical since we're pediatrics and have a lot of esoteric coag testing on our bablies. It's hard to get enough blood for a full 4.5ml blue top. So far, we have been able to get the 2.7ml ones. What do you have to do to use the expired tubes? Thanks.

Peggy Mann

Thu May 06, 2021 at 9:38PM

I'm on the clinical/ambulatory side. Several appeals have come from client services for us to comb through all storage in every clinic, keep 'bare minimum', return to client services all tubes possible.

Patsy Gunn

Fri May 07, 2021 at 9:17AM

Blue top shortage is a big issue here for last 3 weeks. Have already combed through the cupboards and sequestered all back to main lab as much as possible. Requested ALL including ER only draw if order already placed - absolutely no extras "just in case" rainbow draws. Unfortunately we do not have any expired sitting around. We have requested a direct emergency drop ship from BD - I think we got one flat last week. We do have iSTAT for coumadin clinic but haven't gone that route yet.

Tom Nichols

Thu May 13, 2021 at 3:23PM

The shortage seems real, but I heard that the FDA is not considering it a shortage. One of the manufacturers have not notified the FDA of the shortage because it's not considered a recall. Has anyone heard this?

Danielle Ennis

Tue May 18, 2021 at 11:54AM

What is everyone doing for their pediatric/infant/NICU patients? We usually use the 1.8 ml tubes, but we're totally out. Our NICU is not going to like switching to the 2.7 ml tubes. Has anyone started validating a POC option in their hospital? We only have the CoaguChek in our Coumadin Clinics.
Thanks everyone!

Silka Clark

Wed May 19, 2021 at 10:54AM

At Children's Hospital Colorado our heme department made our own microtainer version of a blue top using plain red microtainers. They were available to them upon request. It had to be validated of course, but that was done years ago so I imagine they have simply ramped up the amount of tubes they are making.

Danyel Olson

Thu May 27, 2021 at 11:03AM

Silka - do you still have a contact there? I'd like to reach out and get more detailed information on this.

Reine Makiya

Tue Jun 15, 2021 at 8:57AM

Silka or Danyel, did you ever get the procedure to make your own blue top tubes and the validation to do it? I would be interested, getting desperate i think.

Danyel Olson

Tue Jun 15, 2021 at 9:06AM

We adjusted our 2.7 mL blue tops for a very short time and marked them for 1.8 volume but even the 2.7s were getting very hard to come by. We did consider the red top idea but heard that it was difficult to source citrate as many had this idea. We decided to not waste the time and effort and even do a validation on that.

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Blue top shortage