Routine Venipuncture
What is it called when you touch and feel a phlebotomy site?
Median cubital
What additive is in the green (PST) vacutainers?
Heparin
What is the most critical error a phlebotomist can make?
Misidentifying the patient/sample
What is the alcohol used when preparing for a routine venipuncture?
Isopropyl
What is done immediately after filling a tube?
Invert, Mix
What type of blood do we perform most of our lab tests on?
Venous
Which additive is in the light blue vacutainers?
Document the refusal and make nurse aware
What is the maximum length of time a tourniquet can be left on a patient's arm
2 minutes
What do you add to the tube once samples have been collected?
Initials and time of collection
Is serum or plasma collected with an anticoagulant?
Plasma
You have run out of the pink top tubes for blood bank and need to make a substitute, which tubes do you then choose? And what is the anticoagulant?
Hematology, lavender tubes, same anticoagulant
Where should you draw if a patient has had a double mastectomy?
Confirm with patient, may need to ask a physician, most likely hand or foot
How deep is a lancet for a foot puncture allowed to be?
2mm
When drawing blood cultures which should be drawn first?
Aerobic
Name the 3 veins found in the antecubital space
Median cubital. cephalic and basilic
What colour tube is used for trace metals?
dark/Navy blue
What should be done if a patient has a needle phobia?
Have experienced MLA draw
Have patient lay down if possible
Perform quickly and don't make patient wait
Name a common scenario where you might use a butterfly
Hand vein
blood cultures
difficult patient
there are more
Name 3 specialized phlebotomy techniques
Winged infusion set (butterfly)
Blood cultures
Heel stick
Neonatal screening
Blood gases
Which vein tends to be more prominent on those who are obese?
cephalic
List the order of draw by colour and additive
Blood cultures - SPS
Light Blue - Sodium citrate
Red/yellow - Plain, clot activator
Green - heparin
Lavender/purple - edta
Grey - sodium flouride
A patient has an IV running in their right arm, and a bruise on their left. Where should you draw the patient sample from?
Left hand
If unable right hand but IV must be shut off for 5 min and discard tube drawn
What equipment would you use if a newborn was in distress and oxygen levels were required?
Cap gases