Talk:Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy

I am a student and have an assignment of writing a cover letter for the position of Phlebotomist. One thing my instructor wants to see is something that is technical in nature, that not many people would know. Is there anyone with a technical word or phrase that I can use to catch an office managers attention?

A student

Response

I am a Phlebotomist, a few little know words that we use almost daily in Phlebotomy are; Hematoma, Syncope, Hemoconcentration, Edema, and Basal state.

Hematoma is commonly known as brusing

Syncope is commonly known as fainting

Hemoconcentration is when blood cells become super concentrated due to tourniquet remaining tied for more than a minute

Edema is where fluid accumulates in the tissue

Basal State is where a paitent is in a state of rest (right after waking) and has not eaten or drunk anything within the past 8-12 hours.

Thanks, John 134.197.228.200 (talk) 21:10, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Wow 41.114.188.191 (talk) 08:18, 22 October 2023 (UTC)

Archive from Phlebotomist talk page for complete merge

talk

If a hematocrit is done on-site and quickly in time to determine if the person can donate blood. I don't know much about the process, but the article on hematocrit seems to imply it takes some time to do. Can anyone provide a source that says what sort of iron test is actually done? Also see discussion at Talk:Blood donation. --zandperl 03:13, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

• A hematocrit is designed for speed: a few minutes to spin the blood down is all it takes. Almost certainly no "iron test" is done: the website is amateurishly equating hemoglobin/hematocrit levels with iron levels. Equally certainly, different tests are done in different nations: a generic description might be that "a test is done to ensure the donor is not anemic". - Nunh-huh 03:18, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

• • A hematocrit would be too difficult (and take too long) in many blood donation places. Plus it's more likely you'll get samples mixed up.
  • They wouldn't do an iron test, as this is done on serum and doesn't give much info as to the iron status of the patient.
  • I gave blood about five/six years ago (i should again), they fingerpricked me, put the blood in a small machine, and told me i had borderline haemoglobin (was 135 g/L or something, don't worry, 160 g/L now).
  • People often call Hb and iron test T 03:32, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Blood donation is different in different places. Not everyone has a colorimetric test available; not everyone has a centrifuge. Different places uses different ways of assessing the donor for anemia (anemia, not "iron levels"). Not everyone follows the practice followed in the last place any particular editor has donated blood. And people who call a hemoglobin level an iron test are... wrong. Just as the people who apparently (at Blood donation) call a blood density test an "iron test" are wrong. It's worth being particular on this point: we don't need to encourage the erroneous idea that all anemia is iron deficiency anemia. -- Nunh-huh 03:42, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I realise that people who call Hb an iron test are wrong. But if you ask what the fingerprick is for you'll no doubt hear "it's to test your iron". My point, (which may be wrong!), was that haemoglobin is more likely to be called iron in the reference than hematocrit.

But yeah, you're right about the hematocrit being used by some places. [1] T 23:20, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

The same people who tell you "it's to test your iron" will also tell you "this won't hurt a bit"<g>. My point was that it's not to test your iron. You may be right that they are more likely to say it's for iron if they're using a colorimeter, because that's much more of a paint-by-numbers test: you don't need to know anything about the way it works to do it, which is probably not true of hematocrit. - Nunh-huh 23:30, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

So between this talk page and Talk:Blood donation I have heard of the following tests:

• generic "iron test"
• hematocrit
• hemoglobin quickcheck
• hemoglobin photometer
• "float test" (for blood density?)

The latter one is the only one I've experienced, as well as my coworkers. However, as this discussion has pointed out to me, I'm not exactly sure what it's testing for, nor its official name. Can someone clarify what all these different tests are, how they work, what they're testing for (why they do them), etc.? Perhaps we should list them on the blood donation page with links to articles about each one? --zandperl 23:35, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I'd never heard of the float test until today. (I'm pretty naive.) But it's the CuSO₄ test my link above is talking about.

It involves getting a drop of blood, and dropping it into a container of copper sulfate. The time it takes to sink to the bottom (if it does) is measured. I'd imagine the CuSO4 is at a controlled specific gravity.

I'd actually like to try it, but i don't have easy access to copper sulfate.

I can't remember much chemistry at all, but i suppose FeSO4 (or Fe₂(SO4)₃??) is a precipitate.

So does this mean it measures whole blood iron? Dunno. T 00:58, 13 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Here's two links to abstracts:

[2] Statistical analysis of inappropriate results from current Hb screening methods for blood donors.

[3] Screening for childhood anaemia using copper sulphate densitometry.

No, it doesn't measure iron in any way. The copper sulfate gravimetric screening test measures specific gravity as a way to estimate hemoglobin/hematocrit. The correlation of density with Hb/HCT is not close enough to be of use as anything but a screening test: failing it doesn't necessarily mean you're anemic. I doubt many places use it anymore: it's supposed to give a "float" result if the hemoglobin in < 12.5 g/dl, the cut-off in the U.S. for donation. (The criteria if hematocrit is measures is < 38%).

If these are listed, it probably should be at blood donation; they really don't have much to do with "phlebotomist". Of the tests Zandperl mentions:

• generic "iron test": shouldn't be listed, because it's not done. you can test serum iron, but no donation center does, or would, because the criteria for donation is the concentration of RBC's, not the amount of iron present
• hematocrit: done in some places. requires a centrifuge.
• hemoglobin quickcheck: probably a brand name for the next test
• hemoglobin photometer: a machine-read result from a chemical reaction on a testing strip. probably needs a different description, like "colorimetric hemoglobin test"
• "float test": the copper sulfate screening test: it actually measures specific gravity.
  -- Nunh-huh 01:44, 13 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Ah, that is definitely making more sense to me. Thanks so much all! I put in my understanding of what you've said in blood donation; please go and correct any misunderstandings that I put in. --zandperl 19:53, 13 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Arterial Blood Gases

Concerning the collection of arterial blood samples, some phlebotomists do collect ABGs. At the hospital I work at, we can use either Radial or Brachial arteries to access the blood (MDs get Femoral if needed). We do Allen's Test to ensure proper blood flow if we are going radially, unless the patient is unconcious, then we try to go to the Brachial. Afterwards, we hold firm pressure on the site for five minutes before dressing the wound and leaving. Just thought somebody might care, I may change the page unless anyone else would like to do it. Joafu 07:28, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

History?

What continuity is there between 18th century bloodletting and the current practice? The term _phlebotomy_ sounds like a neologism. Is there a "father of phlebotomy"? Is the word meant to exorcize the ghost of the leech? 128.147.28.1 (talk) 19:17, 3 June 2010 (UTC)

Deadeye?

The reference to dead-eye confused me - after a lot of searching, I found another reference to the term in http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/definitions/hypodermic+needle which cleared it up for me: 'Typically, a large hospital has one "deadeye" — usually, a pediatric anesthesiologist — who can put needles in tiny or contracted veins.' This is implied in the article, but not stated. I don't have expertise in this area. Auntiejack56 (talk) 08:56, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

Spam linker

I have requested a page protection on account of the long term spam linker (1) who keeps trying to insert a link to a commercial site that has no relevant information relating to the subject of this article. The IP is dynamic, so unless a range-block is possible, rpp seems the way to go. --Saddhiyama (talk) 15:11, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

Makes sense - it was that or BL the site. Thanks --Herby ^{talk thyme} 16:01, 8 August 2012 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saddhiyama - please explain recent changes. How http://phlebotomytips.com/national-phlebotomy-association/ link is better than what it was before - what is your connection to them? You are not king of Wikipedia and you cannot just go around and reverse edits qithout proper explanation while putting lower quality ones in place. They look like poor advertising and trying to keep your link on the page. KapitanCookie (talk) 00:11, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

(e/c)Not quite sure what you mean by "my link", I haven't added a single link to the article, so you will have to be more specific what you are referring to. I reverted to last version by User:Biosthmors since all the preceding edits (as the dif clearly shows) has been a good variety of spam linking (guidetohealthcareschools), addition of unhelpful text "or reales stress/lower the hypertension", "phlebotomy is also known as venipuncture" and addition of unnecessary see also links as bloodletting is already being mentioned in the lead. --Saddhiyama (talk) 00:22, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

Since you was so kind as to explain which link you meant in your edit conflict, I have gone ahead and removed that as well, since it was just as blatantly a spamlink as the one you tried to add. A WP:RS is needed for that claim, please. --Saddhiyama (talk) 00:25, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

The edit is of poor quality - if you want to revert edits at least leave off good parts of it. Anyone can discuss the value of references - but removing good quality content and reverting to low quality one is bad practice. The text there that we have now is badly formatted and lowers quality of page. The links in the article before can be disputed as there is not much good quality Phlebotomy sources around, but lets keep the good edits to content at least KapitanCookie (talk) 00:30, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

I have responded on your talk page, since this is quite clearly not the first time you have done this. --Saddhiyama (talk) 00:35, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

4 redmoon

clinical console — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.172.54.173 (talk) 05:27, 2 April 2014 (UTC)

Cannulae?

Do phlebotomists also sometimes install cannulae for venous drips (intravenous therapy?). I don't see that mentioned here, either yes or no. David Spector (talk) 18:07, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

Is this article about phlebotomy or phlebotomists?

This article has almost no information on what phlebotomy actually is. Instead it provides useful information on phlebotomists. I don't know how this works but either change the article's name or content... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.217.72.254 (talk) 16:24, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

The facts of the history of phlebotomy it is not sufficient, it needs more specific information; for example, who and how long it been practicing? --Yalexisc (talk) 22:57, 24 April 2018 (UTC)Yalexisc

Requested move 24 May 2020

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: not moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) Jerm (talk) 22:07, 31 May 2020 (UTC)

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Phlebotomy → Phlebotomist – As stated above, the article is practically about phlebotomists already. Phlebotomy is better described in context at both Blood sampling and Venipuncture so the least we need is another article with that scope. Mikael Häggström (talk) 21:56, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose - In the interests of not further complicating the edit history of this page. It was originally created as a redirect in 2002, changed to a DAB in 2006, merged with an existing Phlebotomist in 2012, and expanded as today. If a phlebotomist occupation article is desired, it should be done via un-merge. If there is a problem with the scope of this article or its thoroughness, that's not the role of RM. -- Netoholic @ 06:29, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose The issue here is not the title but the content. The emphasis of the article should be returned to the procedure itself. ~ HAL333 04:42, 26 May 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose as for reasons given. --Iztwoz (talk) 07:38, 27 May 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose I think the current title is preferable. Rreagan007 (talk) 19:34, 28 May 2020 (UTC)

Strong oppose - This article talks about the branch of medicine, not the job. Interstellarity (talk) 21:28, 30 May 2020 (UTC)

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The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

What does the Phlebotomist do?

A Phlebotomist thus collects blood samples by venipuncture and fingerstick for:

• Investigation of a patient’s condition and treatment progress.
• Processing of specimens for research purposes.
• Testing where the blood group of the donor is to be determined in case of blood transfusion.

A phlebotomist’s other responsibilities include:

• Conducting patient interviews and checking patients’ vital signs.
• Transporting blood samples to the laboratory for testing.
• Maintaining patient records.

References

Hospital operation

What is phlebotomy 103.52.255.238 (talk) 13:16, 15 December 2022 (UTC)