The proper blood work procedure
For further safety, you must know what the typical procedure should look like and refuse the test if your Med Tech does not follow the proper hygiene measures. To perform the test, the technician or nurse should:
- Clean the region of the arm that they are going to puncture with alcohol;
- Tie a rubber band to your upper arm in order to make your veins more noticeable, and ask you to make a fist;
- Insert a newly opened needle attached to a tube into a vein;
- Remove both the rubber band and the needle after collecting the blood;
- Cover the punctured area with a bandage.
Also, make sure they wash their hands before and use gloves during the procedure.
Blood tests are a good way to check your overall health. They’re also a great method to detect illness or disease sooner, as well as evaluate how your body will react to various treatments. Routine blood tests are performed on many people at least once every year. Consult your doctor to see if any more tests are required to guarantee your health.
Do YOU feel ready for your next blood test? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Next up? You might also want to know what to do after you get blood work done. For that, read: Got Your Blood Test Results Back? Here’s What They Mean.
17 Responses
Excellent article!
As we age (and for some younger folks, as well), drinking plenty of water the day before the blood test helps the phlebotomist to find and puncture the selected vein, in addition to helping the patient who’s prone to fainting or dizziness.
Can’t get to f*ckin article w/o being redirected to some crappy ad/scam
very informative article
Great explination of the procedure. It was perfect and the exact way it should be done.
Previous experience working in a lab.
The ad blocked the article I was trying to read and could not be removed VERY ANNOYING
Good article. Attention, the name for the rubber band used in the blood draw is a tourniquet.
The term “tourniquet” can be fear inducing and probably applies to any of several items which can stop circulation when tightened. I think the article’s writer showed good judgement is choosing the colloquial term “rubber band”.
(1) Two glasses of water will “pump-up” your veins, so that the blood draw is easier for the tech.
(2) Press the cotton pad they put on the opening firmly. It will immediately close the vein and clot any blood, minimizing the bruise/discoloration.
Stop. I tried to read this article but Instead had to go through several useless downloads
I wish they would stop all the unnecessary ads and distractions.
I found it interesting to see these steps now I can be aware of how it is done
I suppose I could have reviewed the article pre-publishing. The article is very good BUT nothing new for me.
Thanks for posting this!
I was in the medical field for 20 yrs before I became disabled so much of what I read I already knew. What I didn’t know was what certain meds could affect my blood tests. This was great information for my next blood test!
I got a flu shot one hour before my physical and I did not tell the doctor. My blood pressure was way different than normal and the doctor give me an EKG and said it did not look right. I have taken my blood pressure several times since then and it has been normal every time. Is it possible that the shot screwed up things for a couple of hours? Larry Clark
Great article. It covers everything.
Your information is too much and not in order or sequence. I try to read some article and your ad is showing many articles at the same time. This is making me to be lose and my interest reduce because I do not know where to find what I supposed to read.