All of us, at some time or the other in our lives, have to get our blood tests done and the entire experience can be a daunting one if you do not keep certain essential steps in your mind. The method of taking blood sample for lab tests is known as phlebotomy and the person who takes out the sample is called a phlebotomist.
While giving your blood sample, you should always keep the following things in mind to prevent risk of complications:
1. Hand Hygiene And Glove Use
Ensure that the phlebotomist washes his hand or rubs them with alcohol. Following this, he should put well fitting, new pair of gloves. He should ideally change gloves between each patient.
2 . Skin Antisepsis
Ensure that he cleans the site from where the blood sample is to be drawn(puncture site) with an antiseptic solution and allows it to dry for approximately 30 seconds.
3. Sterile Needle
Make sure the phlebotomist opens a fresh needle and a syringe in front of you and uses it for sample collection. A single-use sterile, disposable needle should be used for each patient.
4. Labeling And Identification Number
Make sure your blood sampling tube is properly labeled with your name and has a proper identification number (lab ID) clearly written on it.
5. Post Sample-withdrawal Care
Once the procedure is over, continue to press the site from where the blood w for a minimum of two minutes and make sure that the then ask the phlebotomist applies a band aid over the site.
6. Sharps Container
Make sure that once the procedure is completed, and sample is put in the labeled tube, the phlebotomist discards the needle is immediately into a sharps container so that it cannot be reused for another patient.
In addition, the most important point is to ensure that you choose the right lab for your blood tests. Ideally, the lab should be NABL accredited, should have comparable prices, should have a decent turn around time for the test results. Follow all these points to ensure that your lab test experience is smooth and your results are accurate.