6 Things to Keep In Mind When You Get a Blood Test Done
At some point or another in our lives, all of us have to get blood tests done, and the entire experience tends to be rather daunting. However, we can always avoid such a predicament by keeping a few basic tips in mind. Just keep these suggestions in mind to avoid complications or risks with your blood test.
1. Glove usage and hand hygiene
This is the first factor to keep in mind when you are getting an urgent care blood test done. Make sure that the phlebotomist, the one who is collecting the blood sample for the test, has rubbed their hands with alcohol or washed them before they go ahead. They must also wear a new and well-fitting pair of gloves. Ideally, they should use new gloves for each patient.
2. Skin antisepsis
During the urgent care blood test, you need to make sure that the professional first cleans the site from where the blood will be collected for the test. This is also referred to as the puncture site. They should use an antiseptic solution to clean it and allow 30 seconds for the area to get dry before blood is drawn.
3. Using sterile needles
Always ensure that at the time of the urgent care blood test, the phlebotomist uses a fresh syringe and needle; they must open it in front of you for sample collection. It is your duty as a patient to make sure that the professionals are using a single-use, disposable, and sterile needle for each of you.
4. Getting the identification number and labeling right
After the urgent care blood test is done, the phlebotomist must label the blood sampling tube properly with your name and the proper ID (identification) number written.
5. Ensuring proper post-sample withdrawal care
After the procedure is over, the phlebotomist must continue to press the site from where blood has been drawn. This needs to be done for at least two minutes after the urgent care blood test. Following this, you must also ask the phlebotomist to apply a band-aid over the site of blood withdrawal.
6. Proper disposal of syringe and needle used for blood sample collection
After the procedure has been completed and the phlebotomist has put your blood sample in the collection tube, they must discard the needle and the syringe immediately. They must throw it away in a sharp container so that, even by mistake, it cannot be used for another patient.
Conclusion
Apart from these factors, it is also important that you choose the right lab to get the test done. This is the most crucial factor in this particular context. There are a few things that you must check in these cases to ensure that you have made the right choice. The lab should be properly accredited, its turnaround time for each patient must be decent, and its prices must be comparable. This way, you can ensure that you have a smooth experience with it.
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