VENIPUNCTURE (cont’d)

Syringe Method or Butterfly

1. Used for difficult draws, small veins or small amount of blood is necessary.
2. Requires a 2 to 30cc syringe
(10-20cc) and 19-23 gauge needle
3. Speciman tube is filled quickly

Serum Only Test

1. Requires that whole blood speciman be allowed to clot and then centrifued to obtain
serum and use serum separator tube
a. Tubes with no additives must be allowed to sit vertically 20 to 30 min to allow
clotting

Whole Blood
1. To obtain plasma, tubes with anticoagulant are needed
2. Gently rotate tube with additive in a figure 8 motion immediately to mix anticoagulant.

Skin Puncture and Capillary Blood Test

1. Explain Procedure
Capillary: Minute blood vessel that convey blood from arterioles to venules
2. Capillary Blood
a. Found under the surface of the skin
b. Most practical sites to obtain blood are:
1. Ring or Great finger
2. Ear lobe
3. In infants: great toe or heel
4. Keep log of information
a. Date
b. Patient name
c. Test performed
d. Results of test
e. Your initials

Hematocrit (Hct)
1. Screening test to determine anemia or polycythemia
a. Anemia: condition which there is a lack of circulating red blood cells
2. Polycythemia: excessive number of RBCs

Microhematocrit Capillary Tube

1. Used (contains Heparin)
2. Use clay to seal one end
3. Centrifual action separates RBC from serum
4. Hematocrit is expressed as the % of packed RBCs in the total volume of blood
a. Normal range for male adults: 40-54%
b. Normal range for female 37-47%
Hemoglobin (Hgb)
1. A protein found in RBCs that transport the molecules of O2 in the blood
a. Normal range male is 14-18g/100cc of blood
b. Normal range for female is 12-16g/100cc of blood

Blood Glucose Screening

1. May use reagent strip
2. Most reliable is glucometer
3. Normal fasting blood sugar (FBS) range is 80-120mg/100cc of blood
a. Fasting means nothing to eat or drink for 8-12 hours

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

1. Known as ESR, Sed rate, SR
2. Blood test that tests the rate at which RBCs settle in a particular calibrated tube, within a
given amount of time; usually 1 hour
3. Determines the degree of inflammation in the body
4. Used in the diagnosis and evaluation of respiratory tract diseases, cancer, arthritis
5. Whole blood is required
6. Normal rate RBCs fall is 1mm/5min
7. Females are higher than males, especially during menstruation and pregnancy