CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

CHAPTER 11: PHLEBOTOMY 269
A
B
FIGURE 11-2 Vacuum tube collecting system. (A) Blood collection needle holder with safety shield for used needle.
(B) Insertion of multi-sample needle into needle holder.
Source: Delmar/Cengage Learning.
twice on a patient when no blood was obtained on the first “stick.” Depending
on the confidence and skill of the phlebotomist or technician, a third attempt
may be made if the patient is not overtly stressed. Otherwise, another phlebotomist
is summoned to perform the collection. This is because a phlebotomist may
lose his or her self-confidence and more than likely the patient will question the
abilities of the phlebotomist. The general process for preparing to obtain and
drawing a sample are presented in the following sections.
Selection of Equipment
Equipment and supplies used depends on the situation and the condition and
anatomy of the patient. A syringe and a Luer-lock needle are used for persons
with small veins or for pediatric patients and
infants. For adult veins that are not extremely
small, a larger needle may be used. When blood
is obtained using a needle and needle holder, the
blood is collected by pushing the blood collection
tubes against the needle inside the blood collection
holder. This allows the interior needle to
penetrate the rubber stopper on the tube and to
allow it to fill fully before being pulled from the
needle holder. It is more difficult to obtain large
amounts of blood with a syringe, but pediatricsized
tubes are available and will usually provide
a sufficient quantity of blood for performing
most tests. For most adult normal patients, a 20-
or 21-gauge needle is used. Since the smaller the
number of needle gauge, the larger is the needle,
a person with small veins may require a 22, 23,
or 24 gauge. A needle that is too large may cause
FIGURE 11-3 Disposal of venipuncture assembly into “sharps”
container.
Source: Delmar/Cengage Learning.
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