TUBES
Why is tube order important
To decrease the chances of changing lab values due to tube additive
What position should a patient be in prior to obtaining blood?
Seated in a chair with back support
What should you do if you see a fistula on a patient's arm?
Avoid that arm
Can you use an alcohol based hand sanitizer to clean hands prior to obtaining blood?
yes
Tourniquet time should be _______ minutes?
one to two
What should you do as you remove tubes from the vacutainer?
Invert 8-10 times
What can you do if your patient faints or looks like they may be about to faint?
elevate legs
apply cold compress to head or neck
lower to the floor
Your patient tells you that they had a masectomy on the right arm, what should you do?
Obtain samples from the left arm.
When performing a blood draw when do you clean your hands?
Before and after
At 15 to 20 degrees with the bevel side up.
Your patient has the following tubes:
Purple, light blue, red
What order do they go in?
red
light blue
lavender
What is the bare minimum PPE needed for blood draws?
Gloves
Veins feel _______ on palpation.
spongy, bouncy, and full
When using soap and water to wash hands how long do you need to scrub for?
15-20 seconds
What do you do after removing the needle and applying gauze?
Apply pressure for at least one minute
What should you use to write on tubes?
Sharpie or Sarstedt
Why should you never recap a needle?
It can result in accidental needle stick
Tendons feel _______
rigid
What should you avoid doing after cleaning the phlebotomy site with alcohol?
Blowing on the area to speed the drying process
If your patient is on blood thinners what should you do after removing the needle?
Apply pressure for longer than one minute, and consider applying a pressure dressing (Coban).
What special considerations should you take with a Pax Gene tube?
no tourniquet, no straight needle, place upright in cup after obtaining specimen.
Pale face, rapid breathing, dizziness, confusion,
blurry vision, sweating, feeling hot/cold are signs that a patient may be about to ____?
Faint
You selected a site and inserted the needle, but did not immediately get flashback. What can you do?
Gently reposition the needle
What do you do if you have an accidental needle stick?
Clean the area thoroughly
Contact occupational health
Ask the patient if they can stay for testing
Common complications of phlebotomy are:
bleeding, bruising, hematoma, fainting