Venipuncture Equipment

• For routine venipuncture, 1-inch and 1.5-inch lengths of needles are used
• Phlebotomy trays are tool-like containers containing equipment necessary for venipuncture, dermal puncture, and arterial puncture
• At a Phlebotomy Drawing Station, there is a reclining phlebotomy chair for outpatients
• Organizing a Phlebotomy Tray


  1. Prepare all the request slips

  2. Check all the test requests to see what procedures you are tasked to do for all patients during your warding period

  3. Once done warding, empty and replace the used items
• Phlebotomy trays are sometimes called warding boxes or warding trays
• The Safety Shield covers the needle once used, meant to protect the patient from sharp injury
• Needle size varies by both length and gauge (diameter)
• Contents of a Phlebotomy Collection Tray

  • Sharps container
  • Disinfectants
  • Torniquets
  • Scissors
  • Different types and sizes of evacuation tubes
  • Alcohol pads
  • Different types of sample needles
  • Adaptors for needles
  • Syringes
• Needles vary from large (16-gauge) needles used to collect units of blood for transfusions to much smaller (23-gauge) needles for very small veins
• Phlebotomy trays are meant for transport as medical technologists or phlebotomists move to different areas in the hospital
• Needle gauge refers to the diameter of the needle bore
• A Phlebotomy Drawing Station has a large sharp container at the back and a blood pressure cuff
• Needles used in phlebotomy are sterile, disposable, and used only once
• The Evacuated Tube System is different from a syringe as the blood collected by the needle is immediately placed in the tube
• The smaller the gauge number, the bigger the diameter of the needle
• Needle parts

  Bevel (angled portion of the needle), Point (tip of the needle), Shaft (overall length of the needle), Hub (visual guide of the phlebotomist to proceed in drawing blood and insert the tube)
• Winged blood collection needles have flaps of plastic attached to increase the surface area to hold the needle properly
• The smaller the number, the larger the diameter of the needle
• The organizer near the chair at a Phlebotomy Drawing Station is where tools and equipment are placed or stored
• Larger gauge value


  Used for fragile or thin veins of adults or for children
• Smaller gauge number

  Larger bore (butas ng needle) to draw blood quickly, but painful
• Needle holders are made of rigid plastic and may be designed to act as a safety shield for the used needle
• This prevents leakage of blood when tubes are being changed
• Blood drawn in a syringe is immediately transferred to appropriate evacuated tubes to prevent clot formation
• Multisample needles have a stopper puncturing needle covered by a rubber sheath that is pushed back when a tube is attached and returns to full needle coverage when the tube is removed
• It is not acceptable to puncture the rubber stopper with the syringe needle and allow the blood to be drawn into the tube
• Tourniquets are used during venipuncture to make it easier to locate patients' veins, placed 2-3 inches above the puncture site, made of latex or cloth with a buckle
• Needle bore sizes

  • Large (16-gauge) needles used for blood transfusions
  • Smaller (23-gauge) needles for very small veins
• Needle gauge


  The smaller the gauge number, the bigger the diameter of the needle
• Coagulants in tubes are placed to prevent clotting
• Puncture site protection supplies include 70% isopropyl alcohol for cleansing the skin, and 2x2-inch gauze pads for applying pressure to the puncture site after needle removal
• Blood transfer devices provide a safe means for blood transfer without using the syringe needle or removing the tube stopper
• Winged blood collection sets, also known as "Butterflies," are used for infusion of IV fluids and venipuncture from small or fragile veins, usually 21 or 23 gauge with lengths of ½ to ¾ inch
• Red tubes are meant to draw blood and let it clot (clotted blood) while serum is collected in red and yellow tubes
• Collection tubes can be evacuated tubes with vacuums inside or Vacutainers with contents like additives or coagulants
• Needle disposal systems use rigid, puncture-resistant, leak-proof disposable "sharps" containers labeled BIOHAZARD that are easily sealed and locked when full
• Syringes allow control of suction pressure on the vein by slowly withdrawing the syringe plunger manually
• Cotton balls are not recommended for applying pressure as their fibers can stick to the venipuncture site and may cause bleeding to begin again when removed