Smaller blood-collection tubes to reduce red blood cell transfusion (STRATUS trial)

Cumulatively, daily labs on hospitalized patients deplete substantial volumes of blood, almost all of which is wasted. The 4 to 6 mL of blood drawn per standard tube is a legacy of older equipment: modern testing machines only need <0.5 mL per sample, and the rest is discarded. More blood is drawn and discarded the next day, and the next, and the next—w…