ASPT certification study guide
(phlebotomy)
professionalism in phlebotomy - correct answer ✔phlebotomists are part of a
service oriented industry and they must possess specific personal, ethical,
and professional characteristics to be successful in this area. many
characteristics are associated with professionalism such as dependability,
cooperation, commitment, compassion, courtesy, respect, integrity, honesty
competence, organization, responsibility, flexibility, professional appearance,
communication skills
new role and changes for the health care professionals - correct answer
✔the specialization of phlebotomy has expanded rapidly along with the role of
the phlebotomist who no longer just "takes blood". in this expanded role the
phlebotomist must be familiar with the health care system, the anatomy &
physiology related to lab testing and phlebotomy, the collection and transport
requirements for tests performed in all sections of the lab, documentation and
patient records, and the interpersonal skills needed to provide quality patient
care. changes can range from the cross training of health care staff already
located in the nursing units to perform basic interdisciplinary bed side
procedures to the actual relocation of specialized radiology & clinical lab
equipment and personnel to the patient care units
history - correct answer ✔phlebotomy is one of the oldest medical
procedures, dating back to the early egyptians. the practice of "bloodletting"
was used to cure disease and maintain the body in a state of well being
governing agencies - correct answer ✔professional organizations, such as
the american society for clinical pathology (ASCP) and the national
phlebotomy association (NPA), develop professional standards, a code of
ethics, and certification examinations
,chain of infection - correct answer ✔infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit,
mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host
rules for isolation - correct answer ✔hand hygiene, the wearing of personal
protective equipment (PPE), isolation of patients who are highly infective or
highly susceptible, and proper disposal of contaminated materials
PPE - correct answer ✔ppe that you may use includes gloves, gowns,
masks, goggles, face shields, and respirators
gloves - correct answer ✔worn to protect your hands from contamination
gowns - correct answer ✔worn to protect your clothing and skin from
contamination
masks - correct answer ✔worn to protect against inhalation of droplets
containing microorganisms
mask & goggles - correct answer ✔worn to protect the mucous membranes
of your mouth, nose, and eyes
face shields - correct answer ✔protect your mucous membranes from
splashes
respirators - correct answer ✔may be required when collecting blood from
patients who have airborne diseases such as tuberculosis, the NIOSH
approved respirator is the N95
, safety mechanisms - correct answer ✔the number one personal safety rule
when using needles is to never recap a needle. many safety devices are
available for needle disposal and they provide a variety of safeguards
including needle holders that become a sheath, needles that automatically
resheath or become blunt, and needles with attached sheaths
things to do to prevent infection and exposure - correct answer ✔all ppe
must be sterile instead of the routine chemically clean ppe that is acceptable
in other situations. when performing phlebotomy under conditions of protective
isolation you should bring only necessary equipment into the room and be
sure to take out all equipment brought into the room back out of the room.
microbiology dept - correct answer ✔special containers, yellow/bc (blood
culture) bottles, blood cultures, c&s (culture and sensitivity)
hematology dept - correct answer ✔lavender (EDTA), cbc/diff, wbc/rbc,
platelets, esr, abc
coagulation dept - correct answer ✔light blue (sodium citrate), pt, ptt, fdp (sp
tube)
chemistry dept - correct answer ✔plain red: sst (serum separator tube)
green: heparin (lithium, ammonia,sodium)
gray: sodium fluoride- potassium+ oxalate
(depending on facility)
blood bank - correct answer ✔plain red, lavender, on pink, abo/rh, x-match
serology dept - correct answer ✔plain red (sst optional), rpr, mono
