Phlebotomy Chapter 2: Equipment Quality, Biohazardous Waste, and Blood Collection Systems

Vocabulary study cards covering phlebotomy equipment quality standards, supplies, needle gauges, biohazardous waste disposal, and collection systems from Chapter 2.

Equipment Quality Checks

Routine inspections performed on stored phlebotomy supplies and before each blood collection to check for defects, cracks, tears, broken safety seals, and expired dates.

70% Isopropyl Alcohol

The most common antiseptic used to clean the venipuncture site to prevent bacteria and skin contaminants from entering the blood, typically packaged on a prepared individual pad.

Gauze Pad

A lint-free pad, typically 2"x2" folded in half twice into a 1-inch square, applied over the venipuncture site after collection to absorb excess blood.

Adhesive Bandage

The most common bandage applied over the venipuncture site after a blood draw, which patients should be instructed to keep on for approximately 15 minutes.

Tourniquet

A disposable latex or non-latex strip tied around the patient's arm to restrict venous blood flowing back to the heart, engorging the vein to facilitate palpation and puncture.

Evacuated Tube

A blood collection tube engineered with an internal vacuum that automatically draws blood inside once punctured by the needle's tube-end.

Tube Additives

Chemical substances inside evacuated collection tubes designed to preserve or prepare blood for specific laboratory tests, identified by color-coded tube stoppers.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA)

An anticoagulant additive contained inside purple top evacuated blood collection tubes.

Expired Evacuated Tubes

Tubes that must not be used on patients because additives may fail to function properly (altering test results) and the vacuum may be insufficient to draw a full specimen.

Needle Bevel

The slanted opening at the tip of a stainless steel phlebotomy needle designed to allow smooth entry into the skin and facilitate blood flow into the needle.

Needle Rubber Covering

A sleeve covering the shorter, tube-piercing end of a double-ended needle that prevents blood from dripping after a collection tube is removed from the hub.

Single-Use Needle Requirement

The rule that needles can only be used one time to puncture the skin; if the vein is missed and the needle leaves the skin, it cannot be reinserted and a new needle must be used.

Needle Expiration Date

The date designated by the manufacturer up to which the sterility of the needle is guaranteed; expired needles must be disposed of.

Needle Gauge

The measurement of a needle's circumference or diameter, characterized by an inverse relationship where larger gauge numbers indicate smaller needle sizes.

21 Gauge Needle

The most commonly used needle gauge for routine venipunctures, frequently utilized in lengths of 1 inch or 1.5 inches.

23–25 Gauge Range

The smaller needle gauge range designated for venipuncture on small or fragile veins.

16–18 Gauge Range

The larger needle gauge size range specifically utilized for blood donation collections.

Sharps Container

A puncture-resistant, labeled container dedicated exclusively to the disposal of biohazardous needles, lancets, capillary tubes, and defective sharps.

Biohazard Symbol

A standardized universal warning symbol affixed to containers and bags to identify hazardous biological agents and infectious materials.

Evacuated Blood Collection System

A closed venipuncture system composed of a double-ended needle, a needle holder (hub), and an evacuated collection tube.

Non-Evacuated Blood Collection System

A blood collection system consisting of a needle and a syringe, used when the phlebotomist needs manual control over blood flow on smaller or fragile veins.

Lancet Blood Collection System

A micro-collection system comprising a lancet and a capillary tube or microtube, used when obtaining small amounts of blood from adults or when performing collections on infants.