Tips & Tricks for Difficult Sticks

By MCL Education • February 19, 2020

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Expires: February 19, 2023

Presentation

Video length: 62 minutes

Overview

This phlebotomy webinar focuses on the origins of difficult collections and the situations that result in them. We will discuss tips and techniques that can often eliminate or greatly reduce the difficulty of the venipuncture process in these situations. This includes methodologies that emphasize specimen quality.

Presenter

Randy Gruhlke, M.S., PBT(ASCP)
Instructor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Danny Grabau, CPT(NHA)
Instructor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Recognize the physiological origins and/or conditions that can lead to difficult collections.
• Identify the techniques and methodologies that reduce the degree of difficulty in performing specimen collection.
• Review equipment choices for successful specimen collections in difficult situations while maintaining specimen quality.

Intended Audience

This series is appropriate for phlebotomists, phlebotomy managers, phlebotomy educators, and other patient-care staff involved in specimen collection.

Faculty Disclosure

Course director(s), planning committee, faculty, and all others who are in a position to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest related to the subject matter of the educational activity. Safeguards against commercial bias have been put in place. Faculty members also will disclose any off-label and/or investigational use of pharmaceuticals or instruments discussed in their presentations. Disclosure of this information will be published in course materials so those participants in the activity may formulate their own judgments regarding the presentations.

Questions?

Contact us: mcleducation@mayo.edu

MCL Education

This post was developed by our Education and Technical Publications Team.