Blood Collection Procedure: Capillary
- 1. Position the patient so that the hand is easily accessible.
- 2. Cleanse the fingertip of the 3rd (middle) or 4th (ring) finger with an alcohol prep. Allow the ...
- 3. Using a sterile lancet, puncture the fingertip in the fleshy part of the finger, slightly to the side ...
- 4. Wipe away the first drop of blood with a sterile 2×2 gauze.
How do you use a capillary blood collection device?
Allow another large drop of blood to form. Lightly touch the microtainer capillary collection device (or filter paper) to the LARGE drop of blood. Collect drops of blood into the collection device by gently massaging the heel. Avoid excessive pressure that may squeeze tissue fluid into the drop of blood.
How do you draw blood from a blood collection device?
Collect drops of blood into the collection device by gently massaging the heel. Avoid excessive pressure that may squeeze tissue fluid into the drop of blood. Fill the microtainer tube (s) as needed, adhering to the order of draw.
How is capillary blood obtained from dermal puncture?
Capillary blood is obtained from capillary beds that consist of the smallest veins (venules) and arteries (arterioles) of the circulatory system. The venules and arterioles join together in capillary beds forming a mixture of venous and arterial blood. The specimen from a dermal puncture will therefore be a mixture of arterial...
How do you draw blood from a heel stick?
HEEL STICK. Lightly touch the microtainer capillary collection device (or filter paper) to the LARGE drop of blood. Collect drops of blood into the collection device by gently massaging the heel. Avoid excessive pressure that may squeeze tissue fluid into the drop of blood. Fill the microtainer tube (s) as needed, adhering to the order of draw.

How do you collect capillary blood?
The skin of the finger, heel, or another area is pricked with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding.
Can you draw blood from capillary?
Capillary blood sampling, which refers to sampling blood from a puncture on the finger, heel or an earlobe, is increasingly common in medicine. It enjoys several advantages over venous blood sampling: it is less invasive, it requires smaller amounts of blood volume and it can be performed quickly and easily.
How do you get blood out of capillary tube?
Express collected blood into the serum separator microtube by standing the microcollection device upright (capillary tube inserted in serum separator tube); after the capillary tube drains into the serum separator tube, lightly tap or shake the remaining blood out of the capillary tube.
Where do you draw capillary blood?
The finger is usually the preferred site for capillary testing in an adult patient. The sides of the heel are only used in paediatric and neonatal patients. Ear lobes are sometimes used in mass screening or research studies.
When performing capillary draws what is the correct order of draw?
The order of draw is based on CLSI Procedures and Devices for the Collection of Capillary Blood Specimens; Approved Standard - Sixth Edition, September 2008. This standard recommends that EDTA tubes be drawn first to ensure good quality specimen, followed by other additive tubes and finally, serum specimen tubes.
Which finger is best for capillary collection?
But what is an appropriate site? Finger - Usually the third or fourth finger is preferred in adults and children. The thumb has a pulse and is likely to bleed excessively. The index finger can be calloused or sensitive and the little finger does not have enough tissue to prevent hitting the bone with the lancet.
What is the difference between venous and capillary blood?
Regarding pH and gasses, capillary blood is actually closer to arterial than venous blood. Compared to a venous plasma, capillary plasma contains higher concentrations of proteins, calcium and chloride, and lower levels of potassium, sodium, and urea nitrogen.
How do you use a capillary rod?
4:528:02Capillary Blood Collection - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHold the foot with a form grip grasp. The heel and place the index finger over the arch. HoldMoreHold the foot with a form grip grasp. The heel and place the index finger over the arch. Hold intended puncture site firmly. And completely depress the trigger of The Lancet. If using a safety Lancet.
How is a capillary puncture site prepared?
How is a capillary puncture site prepared? To cleanse the puncture site, an alcohol swab should be used. The site must then be allowed to air-dry or can be wiped dry with a sterile gauze. Skin should not be moist when doing a capillary puncture.
Why thumb is not used for pricking?
The middle or ring finger is preferred as having the greatest depth of tissue beneath the skin and hence offering the least chances of injury. The thumb or index finger may be more likely to be calloused or scarred, as well as being much more sensitive, making the procedure more painful.
Which type of phlebotomy involves collecting small amounts of capillary blood?
One effective technique for patient-centric sampling is the volumetric absorptive microsampling, or VAMS® method. It involves the patient using a simple finger-stick method to collect a small drop or two of capillary blood from their fingertip.
What is a capillary blood sample?
A capillary sample is a blood sample collected by pricking the skin. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin.
What is the difference between capillary blood and venous blood?
It's Not Just About the Blood Collection Technique Regarding pH and gasses, capillary blood is actually closer to arterial than venous blood. Compared to a venous plasma, capillary plasma contains higher concentrations of proteins, calcium and chloride, and lower levels of potassium, sodium, and urea nitrogen.
What tests Cannot be performed on capillary blood?
Capillary punctures are not suitable for blood culture testing and most coagulation tests.
Is capillary blood venous or arterial?
Capillary blood is a combination of arterial and venous blood. From the right side of the heart through the lungs, oxygenated arterial blood flows into the capillaries. There, oxygen and nutrients are distributed and exchanged for carbon dioxide.
What complications can arise in capillary sampling?
Capillary blood collection can sometimes rupture the blood cells, producing results that are inaccurate. Problems with bleeding and infection can occur with any/either method of collection. Patients may feel faint after any type of blood drawing. Overuse of the same area for collection can cause scarring.
What is a capillary puncture?
CAPILLARY PUNCTURE. Capillary puncture may be used for obtaining specimens in infants or in adults where. venipuncture is difficult. Specimens from infants under the age of 6 months are typically collected by heelstick. Patients over the age of 6 months should have capillary specimens collected by. fingerstick.
How old do you have to be to have capillary specimens?
Patients over the age of 6 months should have capillary specimens collected by. fingerstick. Capillary specimens are collected in microtainers with colored caps that are used to. indentify the microtainers additive.
Can a capillary puncture be used for blood culture?
Capillary punctures are not suitable for blood culture testing and most coagulation tests. Capillary Specimens may be collected on filter paper and sent to lab for testing for. specific tests only. Refer to online test directory for each tests collection requirements.
Which part of the ear is used for capillary testing?
The finger is usually the preferred site for capillary testing in an adult patient. The sides of the heel are only used in paediatric and neonatal patients. Ear lobes are sometimes used in mass screening or research studies.
How to keep a child warm during capillary sampling?
keep the child warm by removing as few clothes as possible, swaddling an infant in a blanket, and having a mother or caregiver hold an infant, leaving only the extremity of the site of capillary sampling exposed.
Why do you puncture your skin?
Puncture the skin with one quick, continuous and deliberate stroke, to achieve a good flow of blood and to prevent the need to repeat the puncture.
When to apply firm pressure to the site to stop bleeding?
When the blood collection procedure is complete , apply firm pressure to the site to stop the bleeding.
Can you use a surgical blade for skin puncture?
DO NOT use a surgical blade to perform a skin puncture.
Can you do capillary sampling on ear lobe?
Capillary sampling from a finger, heel or ( rarely) an ear lobe may be performed on patients of any age, for specific tests that require small quantities of blood . However, because the procedure is commonly used in paediatric patients, Sections 7.1.1and 7.1.2focus particularly on paediatric capillary sampling.
Why is capillary blood sampling important?
Capillary blood sampling is a medical procedure aimed at assisting in patient diagnosis, management and treatment, and is increasingly used worldwide, in part because of the increasing availability of point-of-care testing. It is also frequently used to obtain small blood volumes for laboratory testing because it minimizes pain.
What is the mixing procedure for blood gas analysis?
In the case of blood gas analysis, mixing can be performed as follows: After the capillary has been filled, the capillary end that was submerged in the drop of blood should be closed with the end cap.
How far is the vascular bed from the skin?
This limit is based on the fact that the minimum distance between the skin and perichondrium is 2.4 mm on the plantar surface and 1.2 mm over the posterior surface; the vascular bed of the skin lies 0.35-1.6 mm below the skin surface of the heel (3, 13, 14, 34).
What is the best site for a skin puncture?
Recommended skin puncture sites are the finger for adult patients and older children and the heel for infants and younger children. In young children, whether the finger or heel is pricked depends on the child’s weight and age, because the distance between skin surface and bone varies with age and body weight.
Where is a capillary puncture performed?
Procedure for Capillary Puncture of the Heel: A heel puncture is performed on the lateral or medial plantar surface of the. foot. The area of the arch should be avoided, as should the posterior. curvature of the heel; a puncture in these areas could cause injury to the. underlying bone.
How to stop bleeding from a puncture?
mix the blood. Hold a gauze pad over the puncture site for a short time to stop the. bleeding. Dispose of the contaminated materials and lancet in the appropriate waste. containers. Place a band- aid on the patient’ s finger or have someone continue to hold. gauze on the finger.
How long to stop bleeding and tie gauze around foot?
minutes to stop the bleeding, and then tie gauze around the foot. (See
How to make a puncture in your foot?
Allow it to air. dry. Grasp the foot, and using a sterile lancet, press firmly against the heel to. make a puncture. The first drop contains excess tissue fluid and must be wiped away. Collect the drops of blood into the collection device by gently squeezing.
What to do if your fingers are cold?
A warm compress or heel warmer should be used to warm. fingers and heels that are cold, or if a capillary blood gas is being drawn, to. increase the circulation of blood to the area .
Where is a capillary puncture performed?from akronchildrens.org
Procedure for Capillary Puncture of the Heel: A heel puncture is performed on the lateral or medial plantar surface of the. foot. The area of the arch should be avoided, as should the posterior. curvature of the heel; a puncture in these areas could cause injury to the. underlying bone.
When a small volume of blood is needed, should a capillary puncture be used?from akronchildrens.org
when a small volume of blood is needed. Capillary puncture should not be used. on patients who are extremely dehydrated or have poor peripheral circulation. should be avoided. A warm compress or heel warmer should be used to warm. increase the circulation of blood to the area. automatic retraction of the blade.
What happens if you wipe away the first drop of blood?from bd.com
5Wipe Away the First Drop of Blood – Immediately following skin puncture, platelets aggregate at the puncture site to form a platelet plug, initiating the clotting process. Without wiping away the platelet plug, bleeding may stop prior to completion of the blood collection, resulting in insufficient blood volume and redraws. In addition, the first drop of blood contains tissue fluid, which can cause specimen dilution, hemolysis and clotting.
How to stop bleeding from a puncture?from akronchildrens.org
mix the blood. Hold a gauze pad over the puncture site for a short time to stop the. bleeding. Dispose of the contaminated materials and lancet in the appropriate waste. containers. Place a band- aid on the patient’ s finger or have someone continue to hold. gauze on the finger.
What should be considered when selecting a skin puncture site?from bd.com
The patient’s age, accessibility of the puncture site, and the blood volume required should all be taken into consideration when selecting the skin puncture device type and puncture site. Select a site that is warm, pink and free of any calluses, burns, cuts, scars, bruises, or rashes. The site should not be cyanotic (bluish from lack of oxygen), edematous (swollen), or infected. Avoid skin areas that have evidence of previous punctures or are otherwise compromised.
How old do you have to be to have capillary specimens?from pathlabs.ufl.edu
Patients over the age of 6 months should have capillary specimens collected by. fingerstick. Capillary specimens are collected in microtainers with colored caps that are used to. indentify the microtainers additive.
What is skin puncture?from bd.com
Blood obtained via skin puncture is a mixture of undetermined proportions of blood from arterioles, venules, capillaries, plus interstitial and intracellular fluids. The proportion of arterial blood is greater than that of venous blood, due to the increased pressure in the arterioles leading into the capillaries versus the pressure in the venules exiting the capillaries. Warming of the puncture site further “arterializes” the blood and increases blood flow. Capillary blood collection is the preferred method of blood specimen collection for newborns and infants. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommends capillary blood collection via heelstick for infants less than one year of age.1
Where is capillary blood obtained?
Capillary Blood. Capillary blood is obtained from capillary beds that consist of the smallest veins (venules) and arteries (arterioles) of the circulatory system. The venules and arterioles join together in capillary beds forming a mixture of venous and arterial blood.
Why do we collect arterial blood?
The most common reason for collection of arterial blood is the evaluation of arterial blood gases. Arterial blood may be obtained directly from the artery (most commonly, the radial artery) by personnel who are trained to perform this procedure and are knowledgeable about the complications that could occur as a result of this procedure. Arterial blood may also be obtained from a vascular access device (VAD) inserted in an artery such as a femoral arterial line or catheter.
What is the specimen of choice for a dermal puncture?
The specimen from a dermal puncture will therefore be a mixture of arterial and venous blood along with interstitial and intracellular fluids. Capillary blood is often the specimen of choice for infants, very young children, elderly patients with fragile veins, and severely burned patients.
What is the blood that flows from the capillary veins to the right side of the heart?
Venous Blood. Venous blood is deoxygenated blood that flows from tiny capillary blood vessels within the tissues into progressively larger veins to the right side of the heart. Venous blood is the specimen of choice for most routine laboratory tests.
What is a VAD in blood?
At times, venous blood may be obtained using a vascular access device (VAD) such as a central venous pressure line or Hickmann Catheter or an IV start. Most laboratory reference ranges for blood analytes are based on venous blood.
How long does it take for a phlebotomist to remove a bandage?
(Use caution when using tourniquet to avoid injury and/or nerve damage to site) When finished, wrap the arm with a Band-Aid or Co flex if necessary and instruct the parent to remove the bandage in 20 minutes.
How many attempts to get a baby phlebotomy?
Parents may assist in holding the child still. The second phlebotomist should hold the elbow and wrist of the baby in case of sudden movements. No more than 2 attempts should be made, call the physician if you are unsuccessful at obtaining the specimen. Label all tubes at chair in presence of parents.
