What is Phlebotomy

What is Phlebotomy?

The word “Phlebotomy” has Greek origin and literally translates to “the process of puncturing veins” also referred to as venipuncture.
Phlebotomy is the act of drawing blood by a phlebotomist from a patient through the process of making an incision or opening in a vein, artery or capillary (venesection).

Per Wikipedia Phlebotomists are individuals trained to draw blood from a live person or animal.

Phlebotomists collect blood primarily by performing venipuncture and, for collection of minute quantities of blood, fingersticks. Blood may be collected from infants by means of a heel stick. Specially trained phlebotomists collect arterial blood samples from the radial artery of the wrist or brachial artery in the antecubital area (bend in the arm) for arterial blood gas test.
Certain people need to receive regular phlebotomy. People who have an overabundance of iron in the blood have a condition called hemochromatosis. Those with a condition called polycythemia have bodies that produce too many red blood cells. Patients with this condition need to have frequent phlebotomy as well.

After a phlebotomy procedure, the patient may sometimes feel dizzy or tired. Certain patients feel frightened when a phlebotomist must draw blood. Babies and children may even cry. To help calm the fears of patients, phlebotomists must possess a calm, professional manner. They must be able to help patients feel more at ease as the blood is removed.

A phlebotomist is educated in anatomy in order to know which sites are best for obtaining blood samples. They are also aware of which sites cause the patient least amount of discomfort, and how to assess a veins structure for possible problems, such as a weak vein that may “blow”, or the need to choose a slightly different area to avoid a valve.

Proper phlebotomy requires a wide range of training. Courses in psychology and human relations are especially helpful since the phlebotomist must be able to calm and console many patients and their family members. Majority of the population has a fear of needles, and others seem fine until they see blood. It’s important that phlebotomists are trained in communication techniques that allow them to ask the right questions, and be able to adequately assess the answers.

For example most patients are not straightforward; this is why the phlebotomist will need to take body language and the clients reply to survey questions into account. Phlebotomy is a combination of disciplines that bring all the knowledge together that is necessary for the phlebotomist to look at, and care for, the whole patient. Even though their time with the patient is short, they will be remembered for the way they communicated, showed care and professionalism, or the way they didn’t.