EDTA Anticoagulant Preparation Quiz

EDTA Anticoagulant Preparation

• EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is used as anticoagulant in laboratories, especially hematology.
• EDTA is a powerful calcium chelator (binding agent) that preserves cell morphology.
• The recommended EDTA concentration is 1.5 (±) 0.25 mg/ml of blood.
• A 10% w/v EDTA solution is prepared.
• 40 µl of the 10% EDTA solution is pipetted into each vial, containing 4 mg of dry EDTA powder.
• This amount of EDTA is sufficient to prevent coagulation of a 2.5 ml blood sample.
• The EDTA solution is heated in a hot air oven at 40°C for 3-4 hours to evaporate the water, leaving the EDTA powder at the bottom of the vial.
• The vials are then closed with a lid and stored in a safe place, labeled for future use.

Procedure Summary

• The procedure involves preparing a 10% (w/v) EDTA solution by dissolving 10g of EDTA powder in 100ml of distilled water.
• 40 µl of this solution is then pipetted into each vial, containing 4 mg of dry EDTA powder.
• The vials are then heated in a hot air oven to evaporate the water, leaving the EDTA powder at the bottom of the vial.
• The vials are then closed with a lid and stored in a safe place, labeled for future use.

Calculation

• The concentration of EDTA used is 10 g/100 ml, which is equal to 100 g/L, 100 mg/ml, and 100 µg/µl.
• 40 µl of the solution contains 4000 µg of EDTA, which equates to 4 mg of EDTA powder per vial.