Phlebotomy Essentials

Color-Coding and Needles

• Color-coding for needles indicates gauge.

Light-Sensitive Blood Analytes

• Bilirubin is a light-sensitive blood analyte.

Blood Collection Devices

• The Monoject Monoletter is a safety device for collecting specimens by venipuncture.

Vacuum Collection Tubes

• The yellow-topped vacuum collection tube has sodium polyanetholesulfonate (SPS) as an additive.

Blood Collection for Newborns

• For newborns, the penetration depth of lancets for blood collection must be less than 2.4 mm.

Cytogenetic Analysis

• Cytogenetic analysis requires whole blood collected in a green-topped tube.

Laboratory Report Forms

• Patient and physician identification, date and time of collection, and reference ranges are required on a laboratory report form.
• Patient and physician addresses are not required on a laboratory report form.

Pre-Analytic Variables

• The patient eating a hearty breakfast is a pre-analytic variable that might affect laboratory testing results.

Hemolyzed Specimens

• Hemolyzed specimens cause chemical interference with lab assays.

Blood and Laboratory Testing

• The study of the nature and cause of disease is known as Pathology.
• The body contains approximately 5 liters of blood.
• Erythrocytes are Red Blood Cells (RBCs).
• Leukocytes are White Blood Cells (WBCs).
• Thrombocytes are Platelets.

Blood Cells and Phlebotomy

• Mature Red Blood Cells live for approximately 120 days in the bloodstream.
• The iron-containing pigment of Red Blood Cells is called Hemoglobin.
• Phlebotomists are primarily responsible for the Pre-analytical phase of laboratory testing.
• Phlebotomists collecting blood in the neonatology department perform blood collections on patients who are hours to a few days old.

Laboratory Testing and Quality Improvement

• A primary consultant on the timing for collecting blood for drug levels is found in the Pharmacy department.
• Blood cells begin their formation in the Bone Marrow and Lymph Nodes.
• Flowcharts are used to break out components into a diagram to understand a process.
• Pareto charts are used to make bar charts that show the frequency of problems.

Blood Composition and Transfusions

• The formed elements of blood make up approximately 45% of the total volume.
• Liquid (Plasma) makes up approximately 55% of the total volume of blood.
• When blood is removed from the body, the blood clots and the liquid portion are called Serum.
• The instrument used to speed the removal of Serum by spinning the blood is called a Centrifuge.
• A person who has too little Hemoglobin or a decreased number of Red Blood Cells is known to be Anemic.
• The process of determining if a person will react after a transfusion is called a Type and Cross-match.

Phlebotomy and Transportation

• The supine position refers to lying face-up on their back.
• An RFID is an Identification tag using silicon chips and a wireless receiver.
• Blood for lead levels needs to be collected in a Royal Blue-topped tube.
• Serum should be transported to the laboratory for testing and separated from blood cells within 2 hours to prevent erroneous results.