1. Proper collection, labeling, and preservation of blood samples is important to avoid rejection and obtain accurate test results. 2. Blood can be collected from the capillary, venous, or arterial sites using various equipment like vacutainers, syringes, and lancets depending on the test. 3. A tourniquet is used to locate veins and the site must be cleaned before collection to avoid contamination. Fasting or postprandial timing affects some tests.

1. Practical 1
Methods of Obtaining Blood Samples, Choice of
Anticoagulants and Preservation.
By; Dr. Waheed Ali
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzTmDlcE_3U

4. What to See on and Inside the Vacutainer?

5. Specimen Rejection Criteria:
• Improperly labeled or unlabeled
• Improperly collected or preserved
• Submitted without properly completed request form
• Contaminated form
• Improperly volume & leakage sample

6. Patient’s specimen:
• A properly labelled sample is essential so that the results of the test
should match the patient.
• Label with patient’s ID or the sample number provided for the
patient.

7. Sites of Blood Collection
Blood can be collected from 3 different sources:
• Capillary blood.
• Venous blood.
• Arterial blood.

8. Capillary Blood Collection
Method of Collection :
• Select the least used finger.
• Cleanse the site with alcohol swab.
• Puncture across the grain of the skin
• And transfer blood to a strip or small container.
Indications:
• To draw a small amount of blood
• In a microtube or strip for blood sugar and
• Bleeding time tests.
• For infants and young children.

9. Capillary Blood Collection

10. Arterial blood Collection
Equipment required:
• Tourniquet.
• Vacutainer and syringe.
• Alcohol swab.
• Bandage
Indications:
• Specially required for estimation of blood gases ABG, PH, CO2 and O2.
• Collect quickly, fill completely and seal both ends immediately
Artries
• Radial artery and brachial artery
• Femoral artery
• Temporal artery

11. Arterial blood Collection

12. Venous Blood Collection
• Equipment required
• Tourniquet
• Vacutainer and syringe
• Alcohol swab
• Bandage
• Majority of routine tests are performed on venous blood.
• Blood can be taken directly from the vein.
• The best site - deep veins of the ante-cubital fossa.
• Fore arm vein:
• Other sites are: Dorsum of hand:
• Femoral vein:
• Jugular vein
• Scalp vein

13. Venous Blood Collection

14. Why tourniquet is applied?
• A tourniquet to help locate and define peripheral veins to achieve
successful and safe venipuncture.

15. Phlebotomy
• A procedure in which a needle is used to take blood from a vein,
usually for laboratory testing.

17. Plasma vs Serum

19. Phlebotomy

20. 70% Alcohol
• Circular motion and from the site to outward.

21. - Fasting blood Sample
- Postprandial blood sample
Approximately 8 to12 hours fast before blood
test.
-Drink only water
- Regular drug allow
2 Hours after Regular major Meal

22. Method Of Blood Collection
1. With Syringe and non-vacuum Vacutainer
2. With vacuum Vacutainer
3. With Butterfly Needle
4. Lancet

23. 1) With Syringe and Non-vacuum Vacuette
• Advantage:
• Cheaper
• Not extra accessory require
• Disadvantage:
• Improper volume – especially when blood
collection is require for coagulation profile
• Haemolysis

24. 2) With Vacuum Vaccutiner
Advantages:-
• Maintain proper volume of blood
• Safe & Speedy
• Reducing the risk of haemolysis
Disadvantages:-
• not suited for small veins.

25. 3) With Butterfly Needle
Disadvantages.
• The risk of hemolysis
• It is difficult to collect large quantity of blood as well as in multiple
vacuette
Advantages:
• Useful in infants & children

26. 4. Lancet
• Finger-stick blood samplers (lancet devices) are used to obtain blood
for testing blood sugar (glucose).

27. Preanalytic Interference in Sample
• Haemolysis
• Reddish discoloration of serum/plasma due to rupture of RBCs.
• Factor causing haemolysis
• Sampling = Inject forcefully in vacutte
• Store = Frozen = Due to high or low temp,
• Vigorously shaking of blood - trasnporatation
Icteric
• Yellowish discoloration of Serum due to high bilirubin.
Lipemic
• Milky or Turbid appearance of Serum due to high Triglyceride

28. Blood Collection Tubes:
• Serum separating tubes (SST)
• Plasma separating tubes (PST)

29. Top Color Additives Principle Uses
Lavender EDTA
Dose= 1to2g/l
of blood
-The strongest anti-coagulant
-Ca+2 chelating agent
- Hematology
- Blood bank
Light Blue Sodium
Citrate
2g/l
Ca+2 chelating agent - PT
- APTT:
Green Sodium
Heparin or
Lithium
Heparin
Heparin binds to Thrombin and
inhibits the second step in the
coagulation cascade
(Prothrombin Thrombin)
Fibrinogen Fibrin
Enzymes
Hormones
Electrolytes (Na+,
K+, Mg+, Cl)
Heparin
Plasma Separating Tubes (PST)

30. Top Color Additives Principle Uses
Gray -Sodium Fluoride
2g/l
-Potassium
Oxalate
Glycolysis
inhibitor
Anti-
Coagulant
Glucose tests
Top Tubes Additives Principle Uses
Red ------
Sometimes it has gel
or silicon at the
bottom of tube to
reduce hemolysis
Enhancing the
formation of
blood clot
Serology
-Antibodies
-Hormones
-Drugs
Virology
Chemistry
Blood cross matching
before blood
transfusion
Serum Separating Tubes (SST)

41. Preservation of Blood
• For many purposes blood may be safely persevered at 4ºC in
Refrigerator.
• EDTA is best preservative for Hemogram.
• Tri-sodium citrate best for coagulation study.
• Before procedure, the blood should be first allowed to warm up to
room temperature, then mixed, preferably by rotation, for at least 2
min.