Phil the New Phlebotomy Tech is collecting blood from a finger-stick. Phil is concerned he may not have collected enough blood drops; he is worried he may have to re-stick his patient. Phil is able to squeeze out a few more drops of blood by squeezing and milking the fingertip. What (if anything) did Phil the New Phlebotomy Tech do wrong, and why?
Explanation
Answer: C - Excessive squeezing and milking of a fingertip may cause fluid in the fingertip tissue to leak into the blood, possibly resulting in inaccurate test results. Avoiding callused areas, selecting the third or fourth finger of the non-dominant hand, massaging towards the intended puncture site prior to sticking, and applying gentle pressure while collecting the blood drops, are methods to avoid Phil the New Phlebotomy Techs mistake.
