PROPER BLOOD COLLECTION AND HANDLING USING ROUTINE CAPILLARY PUNCTURE Flashcards
Advantageous in certain adult populations
whose veins are inaccessible: (7)
Severely burned.
Cancer patients
Obese
Geriatric patients
Point of care testing (POCT)
Patients performing tests on
themselves.
Special procedures that require
capillary blood
Should NOT be used on patients who are
extremely __________ or _____.
dehydrated; COLD
INDICATIONS FOR PERFORMING
CAPILLARY PUNCTURE: (adults)
-No accessible veins
-To save veins for chemotherapy
-Clotting tendencies
-POCT procedures such as glucose
monitoring
INDICATIONS FOR PERFORMING
CAPILLARY PUNCTURE: (infant/children)
-To prevent anemia
-To prevent cardiac arrest from removal
of large quantities of blood
-Venipuncture too difficult
-To prevent injury
EQUIPMENTS:
LANCET, MICRO-COLLECTION CONTAINERS, HEMATOCRIT TUBES, PLASTIC/CLAY SEALANT, MICROSCOPE SLIDES, WARMING DEVICES
Sterile and disposable
Retractable blade
Either finger or heel
LANCET
Collects tiny
amounts of blood.
MICRO-COLLECTION CONTAINERS
Manual Hct
HEMATOCRIT TUBES
To seal the tip of
capillary tubes.
PLASTIC/CLAY SEALANT
Smearing
MICROSCOPE SLIDES
Finger or heel equipment for blood flow improvement
WARMING DEVICES
SITE SELECTION:
- FINGER - palmar surface of the distal (end) segment of third (middle)/fourth (ring) finger.
- Heel - 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.
CAPILLARY SPECIMEN MIXTURE:
Mixture of arterial, venous and capillary
blood.
fluid outside of the
body’s cells (extracellular); fluid in the
tissue spaces between cells.
Interstitial fluid
fluid within cells
from surrounded tissues; contains
water and dissolved solutes
(electrolytes) and proteins.
Intracellular fluid
Puncture blood Higher result in ________;
Lower results in ______, _______,
and _____________
Glucose; Total Protein, Calcium, Potassium
CAPILLARY ORDER OF DRAW
- Gas tubes
- Slides
- EDTA (purple top tube)
- Heparin- light or dark green top tube
- Other additive micro-collection cont.
- Serum - red top or amber tube with red top.
CLEANING THE SITE:
- Clean the finger with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
- Allow the area to air dry.
- Do not use Povidone-lodine (Betadine)
SITES TO AVOID IN FOOT
- Medial or big toe side.
- Lateral or little toe side.
- Central arch area of the foot.
DEPTH OF PUNCTURE FOR PREMATURE
0.65 - 0.85 mm
depth of puncutre for full-term
2 mm
depth of puncture for finger
3 mm
depth of puncture for bleeding time
1 mm
distant to bones and main nerves of the infant’s fingers is ?
1.2-2.2 mm
depth of puncture for 6 months-8 yr old
1.5 mm
depth of puncture for child over 8 years old
2.4 mm
depth of puncture for adult
2.4
PROCEDURE FOR CAPILLARY PUNCTURE OF
THE FINGER:
- Identify the patient and verify the
collection orders. Wear PPE. - Choose a finger that is not cold or
edematous for the puncture site. - Clean the puncture site with 70%
Isopropyl alcohol and let it dry. - Prepare the equipment for capillary
puncture. - Massage the lower portion of the finger to
stimulate blood flow. - Puncture the skin while pressing the area
below the puncture site. Dispose puncture
device. - Wipe away the first drop of blood with a
sterile dry gauze. - Collect the sample in the chosen container
in a downward angle and a gentle pressure
is applied to the finger. - Hold the gauze or have the patient hold
gauze to puncture site until bleeding has
stopped. - Invert the tube according to its
requirement. - Apply bandage to the puncture site.
- Label the collection containers.
