AMCA Phlebotomy and Blood Collection 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the preferred venipuncture site for routine blood collection in adults?
- Basilic vein
- Median cubital vein (Correct answer)
- Cephalic vein
- Femoral vein
Correct answer: Median cubital vein
The median cubital vein in the antecubital fossa is preferred due to its size, stability, and accessibility.
Question 2: Which needle gauge is most commonly used for routine adult venipuncture?
- 16 gauge
- 18 gauge
- 21 gauge (Correct answer)
- 25 gauge
Correct answer: 21 gauge
A 21-gauge needle is standard for routine venipuncture, balancing adequate blood flow with patient comfort.
Question 3: In the correct Order of Draw, which tube is collected FIRST during a multi-tube draw?
- EDTA (lavender) tube
- Blood culture bottles (Correct answer)
- Serum separator tube (SST)
- Sodium citrate (blue) tube
Correct answer: Blood culture bottles
Blood culture bottles are drawn first to prevent contamination from anticoagulant additives in other tubes.
Question 4: When performing a capillary puncture on an adult finger, which area is the preferred puncture site?
- The very tip of the finger
- The lateral or medial aspect of the fingertip (Correct answer)
- The base of the finger near the palm
- The dorsal surface of the finger near the nail
Correct answer: The lateral or medial aspect of the fingertip
The lateral or medial aspect of the fingertip is preferred to avoid the sensitive fingertip pad and the underlying bone.
Question 5: Which of the following tube types contains NO additive and allows blood to clot for serum testing?
- Lavender top (EDTA)
- Green top (Heparin)
- Blue top (Sodium Citrate)
- Red top (no additive) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Red top (no additive)
The red-top tube contains no additive, allowing blood to clot naturally so serum can be collected after centrifugation.
Question 6: What personal protective equipment (PPE) is the MINIMUM requirement when performing venipuncture?
- Gloves and gown
- Gloves and face shield
- Gloves only (Correct answer)
- Gown and face shield only
Correct answer: Gloves only
Gloves are the minimum PPE required for all venipuncture procedures under standard precautions.
Question 7: How long should a tourniquet remain applied before performing venipuncture?
- No longer than 1 minute (Correct answer)
- No longer than 3 minutes
- No longer than 5 minutes
- There is no time restriction
Correct answer: No longer than 1 minute
A tourniquet left on longer than 1 minute causes hemoconcentration, which can falsely alter laboratory results.
AMCA Phlebotomy and Blood Collection 1
What is the preferred venipuncture site for routine blood collection in adults?