Medical Assistant Prep / Unit 20 MAS 491 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Performing a Fingerstick
The idea
A fingerstick follows a set technique, so the sample is clean and accurate.
In practice
Step one: choose the middle or ring finger. Step two: clean the site with alcohol, as the practice's policy requires, and let it dry completely. Step three: puncture on the side of the fingertip pad, across the lines of the fingerprint, in one quick, deliberate motion. Step four: wipe away the first drop of blood. Step five: collect the following drops in the order the laboratory specifies, which for skin punctures is the reverse of venipuncture: hematology first, then chemistry, then blood bank. Step six: apply gauze, and label the samples at once.
Where people slip
Do not squeeze or milk the finger. Squeezing adds tissue fluid and breaks cells, which can make the results unreliable.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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