PMLS 2: UNDERSTANDING PHLEBOTOMY Flashcards
What is Phlebotomy?
Two Greek words:
“Phlebos” = veins
“Temnein” = to cut.
It is the act of opening a vein by using incision or puncture methods to draw blood for analysis or as part of therapeutic or diagnostic measures under the physician’s request.
Explain the brief history/evolution of Phlebotomy.
The practice of phlebotomy can be traced back to the time of the Stone Age when men used crude tools to cut vessels and drain blood from the body.
The Ancient Egyptians also practiced bloodletting as early as 1400 BC.
Phlebotomy became widely accepted during the time of?
Hippocrates
when health was believed to be dependent on the balance of the humors.
What are the humors and their symbolism?
Earth - blood and brain
Air - phlegm and lungs
Fire - black bile and spleen
Water - yellow bile and gallbladder
To keep the balance?
excess humor is removed by bloodletting
Lab testing of blood specimens is what?
vital to the correct diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of a patient’s condition.
Lab results constitutes?
70% of the objective information used by health-care providers to manage patient care and resolve patient health problems.
The quality of a test result is?
only as good as the quality of the specimen analyzed.
Reports from suboptimal specimen can result in treatment that can be?
potentially harmful to the patient by overmedicating or under-medicating the patient with death being the worse patient outcome.
Although the primary concern or personnel collecting blood specimens is
understandably to obtain the specimen, failure to adhere to the collection procedure can?
compromise the integrity of a successfully collected specimen.
Approximately 56% of
laboratory error occurs during the?
preanalytical phase (process that occurs before testing of the sample) of laboratory testing.
What are the influencing factors that are responsibilities of the blood collector?
● Monitoring of specimen ordering
● Correct patient identification
● Patient communication and safety
● Patient preparation
● Timing of collections
● Phlebotomy equipment
● Collection techniques
● Specimen labeling
● Specimen transportation to the laboratory
● Specimen processing
1st step in phlebotomy: comprehensive procedure
- Obtain and accession the test request.
What is under “Obtain and accession the test request.”?
Requisitions are the forms on which test orders are entered and sent to
the lab.
i. Hand-written requisitions
ii. Computer-printed requisitions
iii. Barcode labels
2nd step in phlebotomy: comprehensive procedure.
- Identify the patient.
What is under “Identify the patient.” ?
a. The most important step in specimen collection.
b. Ask the patient to state name and date of birth.
c. Check the patient’s identification bracelet (if admitted).
i. Name
ii. Identification number
a. Medical record number
b. Visit number
3rd step in phlebotomy: comprehensive procedure.
- Verify diet restrictions
What is under “Verify diet restrictions.”?
a. Fasting
4th step in phlebotomy
- Prepare the patient for testing
What is under “Prepare the patient for testing”?
a. Bedside manner
b. Explain the procedure
c. Obtain consent
5th step in phlebotomy
- Assemble equipment and supplies
6th step in phlebotomy
- Wash hands and put on gloves
7th step in phlebotomy
- Reassure patient
8th step in phlebotomy
- Position patient
What is under “Position patient.”
a. Seated patients
i. Patients arm should be supported firmly
ii. Arm should not be bent at the elbow
b. Supine patients
i. Arm extended
ii. Not bent at elbow