A Routine Three-Tube Draw

In practice

The order calls for tests that need a light blue tube, a gold tube and a lavender tube. The medical assistant identifies the patient by asking her to state her full name and date of birth. She confirms there are no arm restrictions and that the patient has never fainted. She lines up the tubes in the rack in the order of draw: light blue, then gold, then lavender. Then she cleans her hands and puts on gloves. She applies the tourniquet about four finger widths above the bend of the elbow and finds a straight, well-filled vein. She cleans the site with alcohol and waits for it to dry, and she anchors the vein with her thumb below the site. She inserts the needle swiftly, bevel up, at a shallow angle. She fills the light blue tube completely, inverts it gently as the laboratory's chart directs, and continues with the gold and then the lavender. She releases the tourniquet, asks the patient to open her hand, and withdraws the needle. She covers the site with gauze, activates the safety device, and drops the needle into the sharps container. She asks the patient to hold the gauze with her arm straight and raised. She labels each tube before the patient leaves the chair, and checks the site before applying a bandage.