Familiarization of Lab Equipments

• Blood - Drawing Station is primarily used for the outpatient department and typically has a table for supplies, a comfortable chair for the patient to sit during the procedure, and a bed or padded table for heel stick procedure for infants and young children.
• Phlebotomy Chair should be comfortable and with an adjustable arm rest.
• Equipment carrier makes the collection portable. A handheld phlebotomy equipment is used for "stat" cases and a phlebotomy cart is usually for early-morning phlebotomy rounds. The carts are left in the hallway to avoid nosocomial infection
• A new pair of gloves and glove liners should be used when performing blood collection. Gloves should have a good fit and the phlebotomist could use liners when his skin is prone to allergies and dermatitis. The gloves that are approved to be used during phlebotomy are:

  (1) non sterile, (2) disposable latex, (3) nitrile, (4) neoprene, (5) polyethylene, & (6) vinyl.
• Antiseptics are used to prevent sepsis which are harmful bacteria that typically enter the human body through the wounds
• Disinfectants should be handled with care because it could be harmful to the skin. These are used in killing microorganisms on surfaces and instruments.
•   hand sanitizer and wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispenser is recommended as substitute for hand washing with the exception of visibly soiled hands.
• Gauze Pads are clean 2x2 inch gauze folded in fourths is used to hold pressure after blood collection. These are used instead of cotton balls, and could have fluid-proof backing to prevent contamination.
• Bandages can be used on the blood collection site once the bleeding has stopped. Other materials such as paper, cloth or knitted tape can also be used over folded gauze.
• 1x3 inches glass microscope slides for blood films used in hematology determinations.
• Pen with non-smear ink for labeling specimen
• Watch with timer for determining collection times and to time tests.
• Needle and sharps disposal containers which are commonly called "sharps container" are used as receptacle for needles, lancets and other sharp objects.
• Biohazard bags are used to transport blood and other specimen to the laboratory. These are leak proof bags marked with biohazard logo. An outside pocket is used to hold requisitions and other documentation.
• 1. Vein-Locating Devices are trans illumination portable devices that use infrared light to help health professionals locate and assess veins for safe venous access.
• 1. Tourniquet is a constricting device applied to patient's arm prior to venipuncture with the aim of inflating the veins by restricting venous blood for a period of time. This device comes in different sizes and is intended for single use only.
• 1. Needle gauge is classified according to the diameter of the lumen. The higher the number, the smaller the actual needle diameter. The appropriate gauge used should be 20 to 23, but 21-needle gauge is the most commonly used. The length of the needle in venipuncture is 1 and 1.5 inches. These come with color-coded caps and hubs for easy identification. They are equipped with safety features such as re-sheathing, blunting & retraction devices.
• 1. Evacuated Tube System (ETS) is a closed collection system composed of multi-sample needle, tube holder and evacuated tubes, which prevents exposure to contaminants. One end of the needle is pierced through the vein and the other end is in the stopper of the evacuated tube allowing the blood to flow into the tube. This allows numerous tubes to be collected in a single venipuncture.
• The disinfectants preferred to be used in venipuncture should be EPA -registered sodium hypochlorite with 1:100 dilutions and 1-10 dilution for spills prior to clean-up procedures. The contact time required is 10 minutes.
• 70% ethyl alcohol,

  70% isopropyl alcohol,

  Benzalkonium chloride,

  chlorhexidine gluconate,

  hydrogen peroxide,

  povidone-iodine and tincture iodine.
• The multi-sample needles are used in the evacuated tube system (ETS) and comes equipped with a safety features. There are also color-coded needles that do not have safety features which must be used with tube holders that have safety features
• A hypodermic needle is used in the Syringe system and comes with different gauge and lengths for different types of usage.
• A Winged Infusion Set (Butterfly) is used for difficult veins such as the hands especially recommended when dealing with pediatric or elderly patients because it is more flexible than the needle or syringe. It is composed of 1/2 to 3/4 inch stainless needles, 23 to 25 gauge, with 5 to 12-inch tubing. It has a Luer attachment for syringes or multi-sampler Luer adapter for ETS. The wings or the plastic extensions facilitate the easy manipulation of the shallow angle needle insertion.
• The syringe system is used for patients as an alternative method when drawing blood from patients with small or difficult veins. It is a traditional collection procedure that uses a syringe to draw blood from the patient and the collected specimen is transferred into tubes.
• The components of syringe system include

  (1) syringe needle that has a re-sheathing feature, and

  (2) a syringe which is divided into graduated barrel and plunger.
• Evacuated Tube System (ETS) is a closed collection system that is considered the most efficient system for collecting blood samples. 
• Anticoagulants, commonly called blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent blood clots. The two methods are by precipitation of calcium or preventing thrombin formation. The different types of anticoagulants are ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citrates, heparin, and oxalates.
• There are also special-use anticoagulants which include acid citrate dextrose, citrate phosphate dextrose, and sodium polyanethol.
• Antiglycolytic Agents are substances that prevent breakdown of glucose by blood cells, glycolysis. The most common is sodium fluoride which preserves glucose and prevents growth of bacteria. This is usually used with potassium oxalate for rapid response.
• Clot Activators, enhances coagulation in serum specimen tubes. There are two types of activators: clotting factors such as thrombin, and substances that provide more surface for platelet activation such as glass (silica) particles and inert clays (celite).
• Thixotropic Gel Separator inhibits cells from metabolizing substances and moves between cells & serum or plasma when centrifuged.
• Trace Element-Free Tubes are made of materials that are as free of trace element contamination. These have royal-blue stoppers and are used for variety of purposes such as trace element tests, toxicology studies and nutrient determination.