Phlebotomy Overview
The primary purpose of phlebotomy is to obtain blood specimens for diagnostic testing, either by venipuncture or dermal puncture. There are several crucial steps that must be strictly adhered to in order to ensure accurate test results.
These steps are:
- Interpreting the physician’s orders
- Preparing the lab requisition
- Identifying the patient
- Collecting the specimen
- Labeling the specimen
- Transporting the specimen
- Processing the specimen
- Analyzing the results
- Reporting the results.
If any of these crucial steps are neglected, the integrity of the specimen and/or results can be compromised.