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 absolutely critical for proper specimen identification and should be on every primary specimen container?
- AOrdering physician's name.
- BPatient's full name and date of birth.
- CPatient's room number.
- DType of test ordered.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Patient's full name and date of birth.
The patient's full name and date of birth (or unique medical record number) are the two most critical identifiers required on every primary specimen container. This ensures positive patient identification and prevents specimen mix-ups.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The ordering physician's name is important for the requisition but not a primary identifier for the specimen itself.
- C. A patient's room number can change and is not a permanent identifier for the specimen itself.
- D. The type of test ordered is important for processing, but the primary purpose of labeling is patient identification, not test identification on the primary container.
Critical Specimen Identification
Critical specimen identification involves accurately linking a specimen to the correct patient using unique, non-changing identifiers directly on the primary specimen container. This is a fundamental step in patient safety and accurate diagnosis.
- Prevents misidentification and medical errors.
- Minimum: Patient's full name and DOB (or MRN).
- Label at the bedside immediately after collection.
- Handwritten labels must be legible.
Memory trick: Name and DOB, on the tube, or everything's a pub-sub-dub.