Serum-separating tube Serum-separating tube Serum-separating tubes, also known as serum separator tubes or SSTs, are used in medical clinical chemistry tests requiring blood serum. SSTs are sometimes called "marble-top tubes," "tiger-tops," or "gold-topped tubes", referring to the stoppers which are either gold, red with a gold ring on top, or marbled red and grey. Marble-top tubes are also referred to as "tiger-tops" in some clinics. SPS tubes have a paler colour, sometimes leading confusion; these are known as "yellow tops" not "gold". Trademarked versions include Covidien "Corvac" tubes. They contain a special gel that separates blood cells from serum, as well as
Blood, Sweat & Tea Blood, Sweat & Tea Blood, Sweat & Tea is a book by ambulance technician Brian Kellett, writing under the pseudonym Tom Reynolds, about life in the London Ambulance Service. The book is compiled from posts and correspondence from the blog Random Acts of Reality, one of the earliest high-readership blogs in England. The book covers Reynolds's career from 2003–2006, and discusses his career as an emergency medical technician and a rapid responder. Although often extremely critical of NHS policies and management, the book was extremely well received within the European emergency services, and the book (with its associated blog) is