Is That Tube Full?

If you draw blood samples for the laboratory, you know there's a whole lot more to it than just getting blood in the tube. Underfilling blood collection tubes wreak havoc on laboratory test results and mislead physicians about their patients' health status. This video clip discusses how to know when the tube is perfectly filled and why every patient needs you to fill them precisely.

[bryanwirthlin]

Cool. I did not know that. It's pretty standard practice where I work to violate most of these rules and standards that you've been speaking of in these videos, IF the patient is a tough draw or a child.

What's the word on filling tubes when the patient is, in some way, difficult? I've seen other phlebotomists disregard the order of draw, underfill tubes, accept hemolyzed specimens etc. The excuse given every time is, "Yeah, but that was a hard draw, " or "we had to draw a lavender every other SST because their vain was in danger of collapsing, " or "The hemolyzed specimen is OK as long as I don't put that CMP label on it, we'll use it for our Vit D pour off instead."

Are these things acceptable and what should I say when this occurs? I don't like feeling like I am under serving my patients by accommodating unethical coworkers and "superiors."

Thanks for these videos.

[moij]

Does the number on the tube how much to fill? Example 3.5ml, 2.8ml