NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)Specimen HandlingMedium
A phlebotomy technician is training a new colleague on proper specimen labeling. Which of the following pieces of information is considered critical for identifying a specimen and preventing errors?
- ADate and time of collection.
- BPatient's room number.
- CType of anticoagulant.
- DCollector's initials.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Date and time of collection.
The date and time of collection are critical for specimen identification and assessing specimen stability, especially for tests with time-sensitive parameters. Without this, the validity of results can be compromised.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. While helpful for location, the patient's room number is not a unique identifier for the specimen itself and can change.
- C. The type of anticoagulant is indicated by the tube top color and is important for processing, but not a primary patient or specimen identifier.
- D. The collector's initials are important for accountability but not a primary identifier of the patient or specimen.
Critical Specimen Identification
Accurate and complete labeling of specimens is paramount to patient safety and reliable test results. Critical identifiers ensure the right test is performed on the right patient at the right time.
- Patient's full name, DOB, unique ID.
- Date and time of collection.
- Collector's initials.
Memory trick: Name, DOB, Time-Date, and Initial's fate, prevent an erroneous state!