Introduction to

Phlebotomy
Wimba Widagdho Dinutanayo
Prodi Teknologi Laboratorium Medis – Poltekkes Tanjungkarang
What is Phlebotomy?
• Phlebotomy is the practice of drawing
blood.
• The word phlebotomy is derived from the
Greek phlebo-, which means “vein,” and -
tomy, which means “to make an incision.”
• Phlebotomy is an ancient profession,
dating back at least 3500 years to the time
of the ancient Egyptians.
Modern Phlebotomy
• Today, phlebotomy is
performed primarily for
diagnosis and monitoring of a
patient’s disease condition.
• It involves highly developed
and rigorously tested
procedures and equipment
Job Skills of Phlebotomist
• Technical skills
• Highly organized
• Detail-oriented
• Being able to prioritize multiple tasks
• Match our pace to the volume of work
• Interpersonal skills
• Being able to handle stress
Job Duties of Phlebotomist
• To obtain blood samples, at the request of a physician or a qualified health care
professional such as a nurse practitioner, for analysis in the laboratory.
• The brief of routine blood collection
1. Obtain a requisition from a licensed practitioner.
2. Correctly and positively identify the patient by asking the patient to state his
or her name.
3. Choose the appropriate equipment for obtaining the sample.
4. Select and prepare the site for collection.
5. Collect the sample, ensuring patient comfort and safety.
6. Correctly label the sample with patient’s name, date, and time of collection.
7. Transport the sample to the laboratory in a timely manner, using appropriate
handling procedures.
8. Adhere to all safety and infection control regulations throughout the process.
Job Duties of Phlebotomist
• In addition to collecting patient blood samples, phlebotomists must
also:
1. Effectively interact with both patients and health care
professionals.
2. Keep accurate records and be knowledgeable about the
computer operations of the laboratory.
3. Develop other health care skills, such as performing blood
pressure determinations, collecting nonblood specimens,
processing specimens, instructing patients on collecting
nonblood specimens (such as urine), performing point-of-care
testing and quality-control procedures, maintaining point-of-care
instruments, and performing some basic laboratory tests.
Personal Characteristics
• Dependability
• Honesty and Integrity
• Positive Attitude
• Empathy and Compassion
• Professional Detachment
• Professional Appearance
• Interpersonal Skills
• Telephone Skills
Legal Issues in Phlebotomy
• Informed Consent

• Confidentiality
Infection Control
• The goal of infection control is to develop and maintain an
environment that minimizes the risk of acquiring or transmitting
infectious agents to hospital personnel, patients, and visitors.

• An infection is an invasion and growth of a microorganism in the

human body that causes disease.

• Infectious organisms, also called pathogens, can be viruses, bacteria,

fungi, protists (single-celled organisms), helminthes (wormlike
animals), or prions (molecules of infectious proteins).
The infectious agents found in a hospital are often more virulent
and more resistant to treatment than are most organisms found
at large in the community. This is true for three reasons :
1. A more virulent organism is more likely to cause a more
serious disease, meaning that an infected person is more
likely to be admitted for treatment.
2. Hospitalized patients usually have a lowered resistance to
infection by potential pathogens and opportunistic
organisms.
3. Treatment with antibiotics may leave the most resistant
organisms alive through the process of natural selection.
Chain of Infection
Infectious agents can spread by
five means:
1. Contact, both direct and
indirect
2. Droplet
3. Airborne
4. Common vehicle
5. Vector
Breaking the Chain of Infection
• Hand Hygiene
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Thank You