Abstract: Objective To discuss blood collection tubes with different additives and their effects on the testing results of alcohol concentration in blood samples. Methods Blood samples from 10 volunteers were collected 2 hours after drinking with seven different types of disposable vacuum blood collection tubes, including ordinary tube without anticoagulant, coagulant tube, separating gel-coagulant tube, sodium citrate （1∶4） tube, sodium citrate （1∶9） tube, sodium citrate （9∶1） tube and EDTA-K2 tube. The alcohol concentrations in these blood samples were analyzed by headspace gas chromatography. Results The concentration testing results of the same blood samples in different types of tubes were different from one to another. The sequence was as follows: separating gel-coagulant tube > coagulant tube > ordinary tube without anticoagulant > EDTA-K2 tube > sodium citrate （1∶9） tube > sodium citrate （1∶4） tube, whereas the results of the same blood sample in sodium citrate （1∶9） tube and sodium citrate （9∶1） tube showed no obvious difference. Conclusion It is better to collect a suspicious drunk driver’s blood sample using a disposable vacuum blood collection tube, with the EDTA-K2 tube being preferred.

Key words: forensic toxicology, alcohol, blood, headspace gas chromatography, additive