CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

286
ESSENTIALS OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
Summary
The improper performance of phlebotomy procedures is often overlooked as the
primary cause of poor and inaccurate test results. Remember, no test is better
in quality than the specimen on which it was performed. Most errors, either in
the collection procedure itself or in proper documentation of the procedure to
include patient identification and identification of the sample, occur during this
primary function of testing a patient’s blood.
The sequence for collecting tubes of blood—collecting the right type of sample
based on timing, tube, and preservative—is paramount for proper testing of
a patient sample. The posture of the patient, application of the tourniquet, and a
multitude of other factors all come to play in the process of specimen collection.
Review Questions
1. What is the most important first step necessary to provide for accurate laboratory
testing?
2. In addition to proper collection techniques, why is the job of the phlebotomist
so important?
3. What is the significance of the order of draw?
4. Name the most common problems with blood samples that will affect test
results.
5. What is the purpose for using a vacuum tube with an anticoagulant?
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.