Capillary Puncture Flashcards
Venous collection can be accomplished on children over 2 years old. True or False
True
Always make sure that your tray or cart full of phlebotomy supplies is out of the reach of the child. True or False
True
The method of choice in children under 1 year of age and for adults whose veins are inaccessible.
Capillary Puncture
Capillary puncture of the earlobe is recommended because the blood flow is not adequate. True or False
False - Not recommended
Capillary Punctures in adults are used when patients are severely burned, patients with cancer whose veins are
reserved for therapeutic purposes, obese patients, geriatric patients, and POCT. True or False
True
For a patient who is extremely cold, hands are needed to be warmed before the capillary puncture since heat enlarges the capillaries making the blood flows faster. True or False
True
Best way to warm the hand
warm wet washcloth
The ideal temperature of a warm wet washcloth is 42 Celcius for only 3 to 5 minutes. True or False
True
Massaging the patient’s finger is an alternative to warming when warming is not convenient. True or False
True
The patient’s position must be seated or lying down with the hand supported on a firm surface, palm up, and fingers pointed downward for fingersticks. True or False
True
For heelsticks, infants should be lying on the back with the heel in an upward position. True or False
False - downward
The earlobe is not recommended except in extreme cases, such as a severely burned patient, when no other location is available. True or False
True
if an infant’s heel is to be punctured, the site should be on the plantar surface medial to a line drawn posteriorly from the middle of the great toe to the heel, or lateral to a line drawn posteriorly from between the fourth and fifth toes to the heel. True or False
True
Capillary puncture in an adult is on the palmar surface of the distal phalanx of either the ring finger or the great (middle) finger. True or False
True
Clean finger with 70% isopropyl alcohol then allow it to air dry thoroughly before any puncture. True or False
True
If the alcohol is not allowed to air dry it will sting, contaminate the blood sample, and it prevents the formation of the rounded blood drop. True or False
True
Do not use povidone-iodine (Betadine) to clean and disinfect the puncture site. as it can elevate potassium, phosphorus, bilirubin, or uric acid. True or False
True
In heel puncture, the heel is held between the thumb and index finger of the non-dominant hand, with the index finger held over the heel and the thumb below the heel. True or False
True
In finger puncture, the finger is held between the non-dominant thumb and index finger, with the palmar surface facing up and the finger-pointing downward to increase blood flow. True or False
True
Do not use fingers on newborns or children
younger than 1 year. True or False
True
The smaller the patient, the shallower the puncture the phlebotomist should make. True or False
True
Before the blood sample is collected, the first drop of blood needs to be wiped away. True or False
True
As the finger is punctured, tissue cells are damaged, and interstitial fluid is released into the first drop, hence it is important to wipe the first drop. True or False
True
If the puncture is adequate, 0.5 mL of blood can be collected from a single puncture. True or False
True
Excess pressure may cause hemolysis or contamination of the sample with tissue fluid. True or False
True
It is important to choose a puncture device that corresponds to the size of the patient. True or False
True
Do not indent the skin when placing the lancet on the puncture site. True or False
True
The blade of the puncture device should be aligned to cut across (perpendicular to) the grooves of the fingerprint or heel print. True or False
True
Removal of the lancet before the puncture is complete will yield a high blood flow. True or False
False - low blood flow
Scraping of the blood from the surface of the skin does not allow the blood to flow into the micro collection device and it can hemolyze the cells. True or False
True
If blood lodges in the tip of the device, a tap of the device on a hard surface should facilitate the blood flow. True or False
True
Anticoagulated samples should be mixed by inverting 8 to 10 times once they are capped. True or False
True
Massage the lower portion of the finger while avoiding the puncture site to stimulate blood flow. True or False
True
The optimal depth of capillary puncture from which an adequate blood sample can be obtained without injury varies from 0.85 mm for premature infants to 2 mm for full-term infants. True or False
True
The capillary bed of the preterm to a full-infant is 0.35 to 1.6 mm beneath the skin surface. True or False
True
A puncture of the plantar surface of the heel to a depth of 2 mm on full-term infants punctures the major capillary beds and does not injure the bone or nerves of the heel. True or False
True
The distance to the bones and main nerves of the infant’s fingers is 1.2 to 2.2 mm. True or False
True
The finger or heel was squeezed too vigorously in an attempt to produce greater blood flow can cause hemolysis. True or False
True
Newborn infants have increased red cell fragility and high red blood
cell (RBC) volume. True or False
True
If an insufficient sample has been obtained, the puncture may be repeated at a different site. A new sterile lancet must be used and steps 4 to 15 must be repeated. True or False
True
