Chapter 1: Introduction to Phlebotomy

Advance directive

Document stipulating the kind of life-prolonging medical care permitted for a patient.

Centralized phlebotomy

Sample collection where the phlebotomist is part of the laboratory team and is dispatched to hospital units to collect blood samples.

Compatible

Substances that can be mixed without reacting with one another.

Decentralized phlebotomy

Sample collection where all members of the health care team share responsibility to collect blood samples.

Demeanor

The outward behavior of an individual.

Esoteric

Type of laboratory tests that are not routinely done. These tests are often sent to another laboratory that specializes in a specific test.

Ethics

Professional code of conduct in the treatment of patients.

Examination

All processes that are done to perform the test(s) on the sample to achieve a result.

Failure

A case when the system does not meet user or customer expectations.

Pathology

Study of the nature and cause of disease.

Phlebotomy

Act or practice of bloodletting as a therapeutic or diagnostic measure.

Postanalytical

Process in which the results of the testing are communicated to the health care provider.

Preanalytical

All processes that it takes to collect the sample and get to the point in which the testing of the sample can occur.

Qualitative Analysis

The chemical analysis designed to identify the components of a substance.

Quality Assurance

Program that strives to have the health care facility guarantee that all areas are providing the highest quality and most appropriate level of care.

Quality Control

Methods to monitor processes and confirm that processes are within the preestablished limits.

Quality Improvement

Review and monitoring of outcomes to strive toward continuous improvement in performance.

Quantitative Analysis

The analysis of a substance to determine the amount or proportions of the substance.

Root cause

Analysis of an event to determine the actual reason for the incident and corrective action needed to prevent a recurrence.

Sentinel event

An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical and psychological injury.

Threshold

Acceptable level of performance.

Venipuncture

Collection of blood from a vein by penetrating the vein with a needle.

Phlebotomy

(?) is the process of collecting blood

therapeutic

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement correct.

Phlebotomy is defined in Webster’s dictionary as “the act or practice of bloodletting as a diagnostic measure.”

True

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement true.

The history of bloodletting dates back to the early Egyptians and continues into modern times.

barbers

In the twelfth century, bloodletting was practiced by (?), whose red-and-white barber poles became the symbol of their trade.

Venesection

What was the most common phlebotomy procedure before?

Venesection

A sharp lancet-type instrument pierced the veins and made them bleed.

fever; faint

Venesection was often used to reduce (?) or to produce a (?) so an expectant mother would deliver her baby by the time she recovered.

Cupping

A heated glass cup was placed on a person's back.

George Washington

Who was the first president of the US?

throat

George Washington had a severe (?) infection. The cure for the infection was heavy bleeding.

9 pints; December 14, 1799

George Washington was bled of more than (?) of blood in less than 24 hours and died on (?).

19th

In the middle of the (?) century,

bloodletting was no longer considered the cure for all illnesses.

microorganisms

The discovery of (?) as the causative agent for many diseases started to change the thinking of how to treat diseases.

True

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement correct.

Urine and feces had been examined since medieval times.

leeches

A modern method was to use (?) routinely to one’s body with the belief that it prevented disease.

polycythemia vera; hereditary hemochromatosis

Bleeding of individuals to reduce the patient's amount of blood does occur today to treat diseases called (?) and (?).

500 milliliters

The treatment for polycythemia vera and hereditary hemochromatosis involves withdrawing (?)of blood through therapeutic phlebotomy.

quickly; possible; discomfort; patient

The phlebotomist’s primary role is “to collect blood for accurate and reliable test results as (?) as (?) and with the least (?) to the (?).”

True

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement true.

The phlebotomist is usually cross-trained in venipuncture, capillary collection, patient care, receptionist duties, sample processing, and computer work.

True

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement true.

The traditional role of the phlebotomist in hospital is only one job: to collect blood samples.

Centralized phlebotomy

Phlebotomist is dispatched from the laboratory to either nursing units or outpatient areas.

85

How many percent of hospitals follow centralized phlebotomy approach?

Waiting-to-serve time

The time of waiting for work to do

Decentralized phlebotomy

With (?), more people are collecting blood samples during the busy times.

15

The decentralized phlebotomy approach to phlebotomy is how (?) percent of the hospitals work to meet this challenge.

Hybrid phlebotomy

(?), a blend of centralized and decentralized phlebotomy.

EKG (electrocardiogram)

An (?) is a recording of impulses of the heart.

Electrocardiography

Which department does electrocardiograms (EKGs)?

True

True or False? If false, replace the underlined word to make the statement true.

The EKGs are performed in the patient’s room, and phlebotomist often waits for the test to be completed first to draw blood.

EEG (electroencephalography)

(?) helps locate and assess the extent of brain injury or determine if there is any brain activity.

Electroencephalography

Which department does

electroencephalograms (EEGs), which record the electrical activity of the brain?

potent; home

The hospital pharmacy dispenses many types of therapeutic drugs that often are much more (?) than a prescription taken at (?).

physical therapy

The (?) department works with patients who, due to disease or injury are no longer able to function to their full physical capacity.

Occupational therapy

The (?) department help patients to overcome their physical handicaps so they can be productive again in their old job or function in a new job.

Speech therapy

The (?) department help patients who have difficulty speaking or who have lost the ability to speak because of a stroke or disease are retaught how to speak.

Radiology

The (?) department includes procedures to x-ray lungs or broken bones, cardiac catheterization, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound.

nursing

The largest department the phlebotomist works with is the department of (?).

locations

The clinical laboratory may be in

one location or may be decentralized in a variety of (?) in the hospital.

patient-focused care

The (?) concept takes the laboratory out of a physical location and to the patient.

point of care testing

Testing that is done at the patient's bedside is also known as (?)

Administration

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Keeps the hospital in compliance

Electrocardiography (EKG)

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Monitors patients with cardiovascular disease

Electroencephalography (EEG)

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Diagnosis of neurophysiological disorders

Environmental Services

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Maintains a clean facility

Food Service (Dietary)

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides diets to patients

Gastrointestinal (Gl) Laboratory

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Diagnoses gastrointestinal disorders

Laboratory

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides testing of patient samples

Medical Records

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Maintains patient records

Nursing

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides direct patient care

Occupational Therapy

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides therapy to help maintain living skills

Pharmacy

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Dispenses drugs and advises on drug usage

Physical Therapy

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides therapy to restore mobility

Radiology

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Uses imaging for diagnosis and treatment

Respiratory Therapy

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides therapy to evaluate the lungs

Speech Therapy

ANCILLARY HOSPITAL AREAS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Provides therapy to restore speech

Coronary Care Unit (CCU)

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Increased care of the patient due to a heart condition

Emergency Department

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Emergency treatment of patients

Geriatric

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Elderly patients

Home Health Care

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Follow-up care of a patient at home

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Increased care due to the critical needs of the patient

Neonatal

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Newborn care

Nephrology

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Patients on dialysis

Obstetrics

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Patients in labor of childbirth

Oncology

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Patients with cancer

Orthopedic

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Patients with broken bones

Pediatrics

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Infants and children

Recovery

AREAS OF NURSING AND TYPE OF CARE

Recovery treatment of patients

Administrative office

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Responds to telephone calls, handles specimen collection requests, and handles some specimens.

Phlebotomy

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Collects samples from patients and processes samples for testing or transport.

Hematology

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Studies the blood in normal and diseased states.

Hematology

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Identify the laboratory section:

Complete blood cell count (CBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, sedimentation rate, body fluid cell counts.

hematology

Urinalysis is often performed in or near the same area as (?) in order to share microscopes

Coagulation

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Study of blood clotting mechanisms as an aid in diagnosis or monitoring of patient therapy.

Coagulation

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Identify the laboratory section:

Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), D- dimer, factor VIII, fibrinogen assay, heparin level, von Willebrand factor (ristocetin).

Urinalysis

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Study of urine to aid in patient diagnosis to follow the course of a disease or the body’s metabolism.

Urinalysis

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Identify the laboratory section:

Urinalysis, reducing substance, urine pH, urine glucose.

Chemistry

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Performs biochemical analysis of blood and body fluids to determine the status of a patient.

Chemistry

LABORATORY SECTIONS AND THEIR PURPOSE

Identify the laboratory section:

Comprehensive metabolic panel, iron studies, renal panel, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholesterol.