What Are Phlebotomy Services and Why Are They Important?
Were you aware that someone needs blood, platelets, or both every two seconds in the United States? This need often arises from blood loss due to injuries caused by accidents such as car crashes. Likewise, many people rely on blood donations because of an anemia-related illness.
Without blood transfusions, more than 4.5 million of those individuals could die. However, if not for phlebotomy services, neither blood collections nor transfusions can occur.
But what exactly does phlebotomy mean, and when do you need it? Most importantly, why are these medical services and procedures essential?
In this guide, we’ve answered all those phlebotomy-related questions (and more). So read on, as what you learn here can help you decide if and when you need it.
What Is Phlebotomy?
At its core, phlebotomy is the process of cutting or puncturing a vein, usually to draw blood from the body. This procedure also goes by the name of a blood draw or venipuncture. In most cases, the process involves using a needle to puncture a vein.
Who Performs Phlebotomy Services and Procedures?
Phlebotomists, also often called phlebotomy technicians, are those who perform phlebotomy services. They have undergone specific education and training in the field of phlebotomy.
Phlebotomy training programs include the study of anatomy, blood, and proper venipuncture procedures. They also teach would-be technicians about safety and sanitary protocols.
More comprehensive phlebotomy courses cover psychology and communication. They teach students how to communicate with patients, especially those who fear needles. Intense fear of needles is prevalent in the U.S., affecting an estimated 2 in 3 kids and 1 in 4 adults.
Why Is Phlebotomy Important?
Phlebotomy procedures are vital to ensuring safe, non-contaminated blood collections and transfusions. Moreover, they are essential medical services for diagnosing medical conditions. In other cases, they play a role in treating specific diseases, such as blood disorders.
What Is Phlebotomy’s Role in Blood Donations?
More than 20 bloodborne pathogens can cause diseases in humans. To be bloodborne means to be in or carried by the blood. On the other hand, pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms.
Bloodborne pathogens include parasites that cause malaria and bacteria that cause syphilis.
However, there are more viruses classified as bloodborne pathogens, including:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Hepatitis C virus (HBC)
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Ebola virus
- Zika virus and other arthropod-borne viruses
HBV, HBC, and HIV, in turn, are the most common of all bloodborne pathogens.
Either way, these infectious microorganisms can spread through needles and blood. For that reason, phlebotomists screen potential blood donors first to determine their eligibility. It helps ensure that blood donations are safe and free of pathogens.
Screening involves private and confidential interviews about each donor’s health and travel history. If a donor is eligible, the phlebotomy procedures for the blood donation can proceed.
Phlebotomists can take donor blood samples if interviews aren’t enough to gauge eligibility. The drawn blood then undergoes testing to reveal evidence of infectious disease pathogens.
How Does Phlebotomy Help With Diagnoses?
About 60% of U.S. adults live with at least one chronic disease, while 40% have at least two. Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and diabetes are some of the most common.
Phlebotomy is one of the first procedures used to diagnose such chronic illnesses. After all, diagnosing these diseases often involves blood exams. These tests, in turn, require blood samples, which phlebotomists draw from patients.
Below are some examples of tests in which phlebotomy is necessary.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
CBC is one of the most common diagnostic blood tests doctors order during checkups. It measures the levels of components of the red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets.
A CBC can help doctors form a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Doctors also use CBC results to check for nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B6 or B12.
CBCs are also helpful in checking for evidence of blood cancer and blood clot problems. Likewise, it can reveal markers of immune system disorders.
Bloodborne Pathogen Tests
Some blood tests are for detecting specific bloodborne pathogens.
For instance, the Hepatitis B surface antigen test is specifically for HBV detection. On the other hand, the Hepatitis C virus antibody detection is for HCV. By contrast, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody detection tests screen for HIV-1 and HIV-2.
Blood donors often undergo bloodborne pathogen tests to ensure their blood is safe. At the same time, all donated blood undergoes the same tests.
Lipid Panel
Phlebotomists also take blood samples from patients who need a lipid panel. You may have also heard of this test called a cholesterol test. It checks for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
HDL is the “good” cholesterol, while LDL is the “bad” cholesterol. If you have high LDL levels, you may be at risk of heart disease. Your doctor can then develop an appropriate treatment plan to reduce your LDL levels.
Arterial Blood Gas Test
Phlebotomists may also draw blood from patients who need an arterial blood gas test. This test measures blood pH, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels. They are helpful as measures for determining lung efficiency, function, and overall health.
Diagnostic Tests for Diabetes
Most diagnostic tests for diabetes involve blood samples taken by phlebotomists. These include glycated hemoglobin (A1C), random blood sugar, and fasting blood sugar tests. All these tests help doctors determine if patients have prediabetes or type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
When Is Phlebotomy Used for Treatments?
Sometimes, phlebotomists draw blood as part of the treatment of patients. Healthcare experts refer to this as therapeutic phlebotomy.
Therapeutic phlebotomy isn’t that common anymore, as many modern treatments have replaced it. However, it still plays a vital role in treating several conditions. These include hereditary hemochromatosis, polycythemia vera (PV), and porphyria cutenea tarda (PCT).
Hereditary Hemochromatosis
Hereditary hemochromatosis, also known as iron overload disorder, is an inherited condition. It causes a person’s body to absorb too much iron from their diet, resulting in excessive iron.
The problem is that too much iron can damage the liver, heart, and pancreas.
Therapeutic phlebotomy can help by removing some of a patient’s blood. In doing so, fewer iron-containing RBCs remain in the patient’s body. That then helps prevent excess iron from causing damage.
Polycythemia Vera (PV)
PV is a genetic mutation in which the bone marrow produces too many RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. That overload significantly thickens the blood, slowing its flow.
Therapeutic phlebotomy can help with PV through blood removal. Its goal is to alleviate symptoms and reduce the risk of developing clots.
Porphyria Cutenea Tarda (PCT)
PCT occurs when there’s a deficiency in an enzyme called uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD). This enzyme is necessary to make heme, a component of RBCs that carries iron.
So, when the body lacks UROD, it can’t make hemes, and iron builds up in the body. In addition, it causes high levels of a substance called porphyrin to build up in the body. That build-up results in skin blistering when exposed to light.
Therapeutic phlebotomy can help by removing some of the iron-rich blood of a patient.
What Can You Expect During Phlebotomy?
Suppose your doctor orders a CBC as part of your routine health checkup. On the day of your test, you can expect a phlebotomist to ask you if you have allergies or needle phobias. Also, tell the technician if you’ve ever fainted after a previous blood draw or an injection.
If you are anxious, the phlebotomist waits until you feel more comfortable. In addition, the tech may ask if there’s anything that can make you feel more relaxed.
Once you’re ready, the phlebotomist asks for your verbal consent. If you say yes, the tech places a clean paper or towel under your arm. The specialist also extends your arm to inspect your forearm for vein selection.
After finding an ideal vein, the phlebotomist applies a tourniquet on your upper arm. It’s an elastic band that causes the vein to become more pronounced.
The phlebotomy technician then cleans the vein site and its surrounding area. The tech may then ask you to take a deep breath before inserting the needle into your vein. Once in, the phlebotomist pulls your blood into a syringe or vial.
After a few seconds, the syringe or vial should be full of your blood. At this point, the tech can remove the tourniquet from your arm, followed by the needle from your vein.
Your injection site then gets cleaned and disinfected. Lastly, the phlebotomist sticks a cotton ball or bandage on the site to help seal and close the puncture.
The phlebotomy process for donating whole blood is similar, but it can take about 8 to 10 minutes. That’s because the phlebotomist collects about a pint of your blood.
What About After the Procedure?
If your phlebotomy procedure is only for a blood test, you can leave right after. Most samples, after all, only require about 4 mL of blood, which is less than a teaspoon.
However, if you’ve donated blood, you need to stay in the center to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The donation center also gives you something to eat and drink.
If you feel okay after that brief rest, you can leave. If you feel fine after an hour, you can resume your normal activities. But if your work involves heights or manual labor, please wait 24 hours before returning to work.
Also, ensure you drink extra fluids within the next four hours from when you donated blood. Please avoid drinking alcohol until you’ve had a full meal. If you smoke, please wait for at least 30 minutes before you do to avoid feeling dizzy.
You should also monitor the injection site; it should stop bleeding within a few minutes. But if it still does even after 20 minutes, please head to the nearest emergency room.
While removing a pint of blood is usually safe, some people may still experience symptoms. For instance, you might vomit or feel faint, dizzy, or nauseous. For this reason, you should have someone take you home after a blood donation.
Where Can You Get Phlebotomy Services?
Phlebotomy services for diagnostic testing are available in doctor’s clinics and hospitals. You can also get them in urgent care facilities and diagnostic testing centers.
If you don’t want to go to any of those places, then lucky you, as you can have phlebotomists come to you. According to https://phlebotomynetwork.com/mobile-phlebotomy-services-los-angeles/, you can now get mobile phlebotomy services. So, you can have phlebotomists go to your home instead of you having to go to them.
However, you must go to a specialty clinic if you need therapeutic phlebotomy. After all, a phlebotomist must draw more blood from you than they would if they only need a sample. They also have to monitor you for acute symptoms following the procedure.
By contrast, phlebotomy for blood donations must take place in a blood bank. That’s because blood banks must collect a pint of your blood plus a few other tiny samples for testing. They also have to record and label your blood with barcodes.
Moreover, blood banks must put your donated blood on ice before they take it to a processing facility. In addition, your samples go into test tubes and go straight to a laboratory for testing. All these steps are necessary to ensure your blood is viable for donation.
Phlebotomy: A Crucial Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool
And there you have it, your ultimate guide on phlebotomy services and procedures. Now you know they play a vital role in saving lives through blood donations and transfusions. You also learned they’re essential to diagnosing and treating illnesses.
So if you need to get your blood tested, schedule a phlebotomy appointment. You might also want to choose mobile phlebotomy services, as they’re more convenient.
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