Specimen Collection Flashcards
Refers to the process of obtaining a sample of blood from an individual for diagnostic, screening, or therapeutic purposes.
Blood collection
What are the three types of blood collection methods?
Venipuncture
Capillary puncture
Arterial puncture
Correct specimen collection include
Proper Labeling: Patient’s Full Name, Hospital Identification Number, Location, Time and Date, and the initials of the phlebotomist
In venipuncture, the ideal procedure is to have the patient?
Lie down or if not possible, the patient should sit in a sturdy, comfortable chair and not on high stools
It is the ideal site for puncture.
Antecubital fossa
The two anatomical vein patterns are the
H- Pattern and M-Pattern
H-Pattern vein include
Median cubital vein, Cephalic vein, and Basilic vein
M-Pattern vein include
Median vein, Accessory cephalic vein, Basilic vein
The angle between skin and needle should be
Less than 30 degrees
Tourniquet Application should be
Less than 1 minute
These are the possible
effects of prolonged tourniquet application
Hemoconcentration, Hemolysis, and Shortened Coagulation Time (PT/APTT)
Application of the tourniquet must be _____ above the puncture site
3-4 inches or 7-10 cm
The most common needle size for an adult is?
21 gauge (1 inch long) needle
Phlebotomist must never puncture the patient _____
twice
This is a condition in which venous flow is slowed
Stasis
Causes of specimen hemolysis in venipuncture
Prolonged tourniquet application
Moisture or contamination of blood collecting tubes.
Needle with small bores.
Excessive agitation.
Frothing of the blood sample
Cite the order of Draw (Venipuncture)
- Blood- culture tubes (yellow)
- Coagulation sodium citrate tube (blue topper)
- Serum tubes with or without clot activator or gel separator
- Heparin tubes with our without gel (green stopper)
- Etylenediaminetetraactetic acid tubes (lavender stopper)
- Glycolytic inhibitor (gray stopper)
Number of inversions of the serum tube red top (plastic, clot-activator)
5
Number of inversions of the serum tube red top (Glass, Non-Additive)
0
The color of the top of this tube is gray
Sodium fluoride tube
The color of the stopper of this tube is pink
EDTA tube
The color of the stopper of this tube is light blue
Citrated tube or Sodium Citrate
How many percent of sodium citrate does a citrated tube contain?
3.2%
It prevents clotting by inhibiting thrombin and thromboplastin
Sodium or lithium heparin
It inhibits glycolysis
Fluoride
This additive in the gray tube prevents clotting by precipitating calcium
Oxalate
Other additives that prevents clotting by binding calcium
Sodium citrate and potassium EDTA
Used in stat and routine chemistry
Green (Heparin) tubes
Used in hematology and blood bank
Lavender or pink (EDTA) tubes
Used for coagulation
Light-blue (sodium citrate) tubes
Used for blood gas
Green (Heparin) tubes
Used for testing blood alcohol and lactic acid
Gray (Sodium fluoride) tubes
Capillary puncture is done if the patient is:
Infants less than 1 year old.
Severely burned patients.
Patients whose veins are reserved for
therapeutic purposes.
Extremely obese patients.
Adult with poor veins.
Order of Draw (Capillary puncture)
Tube for blood gas analysis
Slides
EDTA Microcollection Tube
Other Microcollection Tubes with anticoagulants
Serum Microcollection Tube
Depth of skin puncture for adults
2.0-2.5 mm
Depth of skin puncture for infants
<2.0 mm
Sites to be avoided when drawing blood
Hematoma
Burned, damaged, occluded veins
Intravenous catheter (IV line)
Edema
Post Mastectomy Side
Skin with Tattoo
It is the most common complication encountered during venipuncture
Ecchymosis (Bruise)
Leakage of large amount of blood
Hematoma
Short lapse in consciousness
Fainting (Syncope)
Prolonged tourniquet application
Hemoconcentration
Leakage of small amount of blood
Ecchymosis (Bruise)
How many minutes should you wait before reapplying the tourniquet
2 minutes
What should you remember when drawing blood from a person with an IV line?
Draw on the opposite side of the IV
Stop IV for 2 minutes
Discard first 5-ml of blood
An alternative tourniquet for patients that are obese
BP Cuff. Must not be more than 40
mmHg and 1 minute
Tiny spots of bleeding under the skin or in the mucous membranes
Petechiae
A condition in which a person develops anemia due to medical interventions, most frequently repeated blood draws.
Iatrogenic anemia
