NHA study notes Flashcards
from the handout
What does thrombin do?
Promotes clot formation.
Found in orange top, STAT tubes
Define “sclerosed”
Hard or cord-like
Ex: sclerosed veins
How long should a patient fast?
When should a patient fast?
Fasting should be for 8 - 12 hours.
Fasting should happen prior to any lipid, triglyceride or cholesterol testing.
What are light green or gray/green tubes for?
STAT chemistry tests
What informationshould specimens be labeled with?
Patient’s name
Date of birth
*If not using a computerized label, write neatly and legibly!
Gender is not required.
Battery and Assault
Battery: touching a patient without their permission
Assault: threatening a patient
Where to draw blood/perform a venipuncture?
The antecubital area of the arm.
Specifically, the median cubital vein,
then the cephalic vein or basilic vein.
Specimin protections include…
Protect bilirubin from light
Lactic acids should be chilled for in-house testing; or spun and the plasma frozen for transport to another lab
Ammonia tests should be put on ice
Vitamin B6 tests should be put on ice
Arterial Blood Gases should be put on ice
Semen should be transported quickly
Not freezing whole blood specimens
The most accurate orders are…
Automated aka computerized
Possible causes of hemolysis include:
- Shaking a tube
- Underfilling the tube
What is the test for a patient with a fever of unknown origin?
Blood culture
Venipuncture tips / recommendations
- Use a tourniquet (3-4 inches above site) to find/palpate the vein
- Insert the needle at a 30 degree angle
- Once blood flow is established, the patient can relax their fist
- If blood flows but then stops, the needle have gone through the vein, try pulling back.
- Apply gauze and the needle safety device when the needle is removed.
Butterfly needle tips / recommendations
Always hold the wings of a butterfly needle
Use a 15-20 degree angle on a hand venipuncture using a butterfly needle. (Nearly parallel to the hand.)
How to avoid cross-contamination and/or carry over?
The order of draw for venipuncture, capillary, syringe should be followed
For Capillary draws: EDTA tubes are collected first
Yellow tubes are drawn first (when?)
What do you do if a patient starts seizing?
Place a tongue blade into the patient’s mouth
What do you do if a patient has had a mastectomy?
Single: draw from the antecubital area of the opposite arm
Double: draw blood from the most distal vein in either arm
How do you draw a sputum sample?
Swab the inside of a patient’s cheek
Collect sputum samples early in the morning for the best results
What’s the best vein to palpate on an obese person?
The cephalic vein (lateral aspect of forearm)
What do you do if a person has an IV going?
Use the other arm.
Request the nurse stop the IV for 2 minutes
Never draw blood above the IV (dilutes the blood)
(Note: It’s ok to draw blood above a bruise)
How does time of day affect a cortisol test?
Cortisol levels are lowest in the AM and generally rise throughout the day.
Needle guages
The larger the gauge, the smaller the needle
16 gauge for blood donations
23 gauage for small veins: children / elderly
Equipment checks
Review the employee use log to determine the quality of the equipment
Always do quality control checks on glucose monitors
