WHO Guidelines on Drawing Blood: Best Practices in Phlebotomy

8.5 Prevention and management of incidents and adverse
events
Recommendation on infection control (Annex B)
Infection control procedures that help to prevent health-care associated
infections include:
• hand hygiene;
• glove use;
• skin antisepsis;
• sterile, single-use blood-sampling devices;
• sharps containers;
• disinfection of surfaces and chairs;
• cleaning and disinfection of tourniquets;
• transportation of laboratory samples in labelled, washable containers.
Annex B summarizes the recommendations for best infection control practices in phlebotomy.
The points listed below contribute to infection control.
• The workplace should be clean, tidy and uncluttered. There should be no sign of blood
contamination on the chairs, counters or walls. The working surface should be visibly clean.
• Hand hygiene (hand washing or use of an alcohol rub) should be carried out before wellfitting,
non-sterile gloves are put on and after they are removed (45).
• Only sterile, single-use blood-sampling devices should be used to take blood.
• Skin at the venepuncture site should be disinfected, taking into consideration the type of
specimen, the age and the allergy history of the patient (40–42).
• Once the procedure has been completed and the blood sample or samples have been put
into the laboratory sampling tubes, the used devices should be discarded immediately into a
sharps container.
• Specimens should be transported in containers that help to prevent breakage or spillage of
blood.
8.5.1 Patient related
Recommendation on increasing patient confidence (Annex F)
Health-care facilities should provide a patient information leaflet or poster
explaining the procedure in simple terms, to increase patient confidence.
• Patient information (leaflets or posters) is recommended. In a busy clinic, there may not be
time to explain the procedure to the patient, or the reason for the blood sample being taken.
• Information should be provided to a fully conscious patient in such a way that the person
can make an informed decision. Being well informed also helps the patient to relax and may
reduce discomfort during the procedure.
• If the patient is mentally incapacitated (e.g. through mental illness, organic impairment,
or traumatic or drug-associated loss of consciousness), essential blood sampling may be
carried out without permission, in accordance with the institutional or national policy.
However, the status of the patient should be clearly documented in the patient’s clinical
notes.
52 <strong>WHO</strong> guidelines on drawing blood: best practices in phlebotomy