A physician orders multiple blood tests for a client. A nurse preparing to collect blood samples knows that most diagnostic blood tests require:

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Most diagnostic blood tests require serum, which is the liquid portion of the blood that remains after coagulation. Plasma refers to the liquid portion of the blood that has not coagulated and still contains clotting factors, so it is not typically used for diagnostic tests. Whole blood includes both the liquid and cellular components of the blood, which may not be necessary for certain tests. Red blood cells are typically not used for diagnostic blood tests, as they do not contain many of the substances that are often used for analysis.

A Physician Orders Multiple Blood Tests for a Client