Venous Blood Collection
Universal precautions
Assume that all human blood is
potentially infectious
Practice Universal Precautions
using gloves, eye protection, and
lab coats.
Always use sterile, single-use,
disposable supplies for sample
collection.
Venipuncture procedure
Make sure participant is sitting comfortably.
Lay out all blood collection supplies and necessary
labels.
Assemble needle or butterfly needle into Vacutainer
holder being sure that it is firmly seated into threads.
Loosely place Vacutainer tube into holder, but do
not puncture top.
Examine both arms to find the best vein.
Locate the puncture site; apply the tourniquet.
Apply the tourniquet
Venipuncture procedure
4. Locate the vein and cleanse
the area with an alcohol wipe.
Wipe the area in a circular
motion making sure the area
is thoroughly cleaned.
Repeat with a second wipe,
if necessary.
5. Dry with gauze.
Venipuncture procedure
6. If it is necessary to feel the
vein again, do so, but cleanse
the area again with an
alcohol wipe and dry with
gauze.
7. Fix the vein by pressing down
on the vein about 1 inch
below the proposed point of
entry and pull the skin taut.
8. Remove the needle shield.
Venipuncture procedure
9. Approach the vein in the same
direction the vein is running, holding
the needle so that it is at an
approximately 15° angle with the
participant's arm.
Venipuncture procedure
10.Push the needle, with bevel facing up, firmly
and deliberately into the vein..
If the needle is in the vein, blood will
flow freely into the tube.
If no blood enters the tube, probe for the
vein once or twice until entry is
indicated by blood flowing into the tube.
Venipuncture procedure
11. For collection, loosen the tourniquet immediately after blood
flow is established and release entirely as the last tube fills.
12. If a syringe is required to obtain the blood, attach it to the
appropriate size butterfly needle and withdraw 2-3 mL blood.
13. After withdrawing the needle from the arm, quickly change
the needle on the syringe and transfer blood from the syringe
by puncturing the top of the tube with the new needle and
allowing the vacuum to draw the blood into the tube.
14. Mix well with the anticoagulant .
Venipuncture procedure
15.Withdraw the tube, then the needle. Heavy
pressure as the needle is being withdrawn should
be avoided.
16.When the needle is out of the arm, press gauze
firmly on the puncture.
17.Have the participant raise his arm (not bend it)
and continue to hold the gauze in place for
several minutes. This will help prevent
hematomas.
Venipuncture procedure
18.Report to the supervisor any reaction
experienced by the participant during the
venipuncture procedure.
19.Place a bandage on the
participant's arm.
20.Label all tubes with the
preprinted labels provided.
Write date on label with permanent marker (if
not preprinted).
Venipuncture procedure
21.You may resheath the
needle, but only with
proper technique. With the
needle top on the
absorbent pad, slowly slide
the needle into the needle
top.
22.The needle should be
discarded into a sharps
container. Place all labeled
tubes in a cool box, and
discard waste into
biohazard container.
