Phlebotomist Mock Interview
Practice 30 Phlebotomist interview questions covering venipuncture skills, patient care, and safety protocols.
Question 8 of 30
Why is a discard tube necessary when drawing a light blue top?
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Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
"A light-blue top tube that will be used for coagulation testing must be filled to completion. Under-filling the tube changes the ratio of blood to anticoagulant. This can affect the accuracy of coagulation tests that are performed using this specimen. If a winged blood collection device (butterfly) is used to collect a light-blue top tube for coagulation studies, a waste tube should be drawn first. If the air is not displaced from the tubing into a waste tube, it will be drawn into the tube used for testing and cause a short-fill of the tube. Less volume of blood in the tube alters the required blood to anticoagulant ratio needed for coagulation studies."
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
"A light blue top tube has to have a certain amount of blood in it for the test to be accurate. Using a discard tube helps to rid the tubing of any air in the tubing attached to the needle. Air could prevent the blue tube from being accurate."
Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
Understanding the order of the draw and why a discard tube is necessary is crucial to performing a phlebotomist's job. Explain your understanding of the necessity of a discard tube to the interviewer.
Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
"Using a discard tube helps to empty any air of the butterfly tubing, which allows the light blue top to be filled with the appropriate amount of blood."
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