Collecting Blood Specimen

The hospital laboratory technicians obtain most routine blood specimens. Venous blood is drown for most tests, but arterial blood is drawn for blood gas measurements. However, in some setting nurses draw venous blood.

Purpose
Specimen of venous blood are taken for complete blood count, which includes
• Hemoglobin and hemotocrit measurements
• Erythrocytes (RBC) count
• Leukocytes (WBC) count
• Differential counts

Equipment
• Sterile gloves
• Tourniquet
• Antiseptic swabs
• Dry cotton (gauze)
• Needle and syringe
• Specimen container with the required diluting or preservative agents, for example: anticoagulant.
• Identification/ labeling: name, age address, etc.
• Laboratory requisition forms

Procedure
1. Patient preparation
• Instruct the pt what to expect and for fasting (if required)
• Position the pt comfortably

2. Select and prepare the vein sites to be punctured
• Put on gloves
• Select the vein to be punctured. Usually the large superficial veins used such as, brachial and median cubital veins.
• Place the veins in dependent positions
• Apply tourniquet firmly 15-20 cm about the selected sites. It must be tight enough to obstruct vein blood flow, but not to occlude arterial blood flow.
• If the vein is not sufficiently to dilate massage (stroke) the vein from the distal towards the site or encourage the pt to clench and unclench repeatedly.
• Clean the punctured site using antiseptic swabs

3. Obtain specimen of the venous to blood
• Adjust the syringe and needles
• Clean/disinfect the area with alcohol swab, dry with sterile cotton swab
• Puncture the vein sites
• Release the tourniquet when you are sure in the vein
• Withdraw the required amount of venous blood specimen
• Withdraw the needle and hold the sites with dry cotton (to apply pressure)
• Put the blood into the specimen container
• Made sure not to contaminate outer part of the container and not to distract the blood cells while putting it into the container

4. Recomfort the patient

5. Care of the specimen and the equipment
• Label the container
• Shake gently (if indicated to mix)
• Send immediately to laboratory, accompanying the request
• Give care of used equipments

6. Documentation and reporting