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Laboratory Safety Case Study Analysis

The document describes a case study of a laboratory accident involving a phlebotomist. The phlebotomist was in a hurry to leave for lunch and had a scratch on her wrist. She quickly drew a patient's blood but then slipped and fell, causing blood to splash on her scratched wrist. This exposed her to potential infection from the patient's blood since she was not following proper safety protocols by wearing high heels and no gloves in the laboratory. The accident could have been prevented if she had followed laboratory rules and worn closed, flat shoes and protective gloves to avoid exposure through skin contact.

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AL-HUSSEIN NAWAB
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51 views2 pages

Laboratory Safety Case Study Analysis

The document describes a case study of a laboratory accident involving a phlebotomist. The phlebotomist was in a hurry to leave for lunch and had a scratch on her wrist. She quickly drew a patient's blood but then slipped and fell, causing blood to splash on her scratched wrist. This exposed her to potential infection from the patient's blood since she was not following proper safety protocols by wearing high heels and no gloves in the laboratory. The accident could have been prevented if she had followed laboratory rules and worn closed, flat shoes and protective gloves to avoid exposure through skin contact.

Uploaded by

AL-HUSSEIN NAWAB
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

CASE STUDY: LABORATORY

SAFETY AN ACCIDENT
WAITING TO HAPPEN

* INSTRUCTION: ANSWER COMPREHENSIVELY. Make sure you are able to


support your answer. Use references if possible. Upload in pdf format as Case
on Laboratory Safety/your last name
Upload in PDF. (Handwritten)

CASE
DETAIL
A female phlebotomist works alone in an outpatient clinic. It is almost time to
close for lunch when a patient arrives for a blood test. The phlebotomist is
flustered because she has a special date for lunch. She is dressed up for the
occasion, wearing a nice dress and high heels. She looks nice except for a large
scratch on her left wrist that she got while playing with her cat this morning.
She quickly draws the patient's blood. As she turns to put the specimen in a
rack, she slips and falls. One of the tubes breaks. She does not get cut, but blood
splashes everywhere, including her left wrist.
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
1. What is the first thing the The first action of the phlebotomist
phlebotomist should is to rise up immediately and
do?
carefully wipe the blood that splashed
on her left wrist. This is important
since the blood is from the patient
and can come into contact with her
blood and increase chances of
infections.

2. How did the phlebotomist's actions She, to a significant level,


contribute to this accident? . How did
exhibits negligence of duty. She has
plans and thoughts on lunch yet it is
the phlebotomist's
not lunchtime, which takes her focus
actions contribute to this accident?
from her duties, leading to haste in
her work. The haste contributes to the
accident as she is less likely to be
cautious in her haste to finish
specimen collection and go for lunch.
3. What should she have done that By wearing high heels, the
might have prevented the exposure,
phlebotomist breaks the laboratory
rules. The high heels are
despite
inappropriate for the lab since they
the tube breaking? hinder stability. This in turn made
her topple easily. With the medical
instruments and chemicals used in the
lab, high heels should be avoided in
favor of closed fairly flat shoes to
as to enhance stability while walking
with specimen and handling chemicals
as well as glass apparatus. By not
wearing protective gloves, she breaks
laboratory rules that guide blood
drawing.

4. What type of exposure did she The type of exposure in this case
receive?
is dermal contact i.e contact with the
skin.

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