Venipuncture
- To ensure the quality of test results, it is essential that the correct type of specimen is collected from the correct patient and labelled properly. The blood specimen must be handled correctly and delivered in a timely manner to the appropriate lab area for testing.
- Providers must be aware of sites in which venipuncture is not recommended (i.e., scars, tattoos, mastectomy, etc.) and chose alternatives appropriately.
- The median cephalic vein is located in the antecubital fossa and is the most desirable site for venipuncture.
- The tourniquet should be removed within one minute to avoid hemoconcentration (an increase in cellular elements).