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Phlebotomy is the process of piercing the
flesh with a needle in order to enter a vein and extract blood from
the body. This is also known as venipuncture. The terminology comes
from the Greek word "phlebo" meaning vein, and "tom"
meaning cut. Most often the blood is used for diagnostic (testing)
purposes and at times this process can be done to replace blood
loss (transfusion). Regular phlebotomy is undergone by patients
who have too much iron in their blood or are producing too many
red blood cells. Removal of blood decreases the excess level of
iron in the red blood cells.
You may have faced a situation in which you
needed to donate blood, or perhaps took part in a blood group test.
You may have realized that you did not experience any discomfort
or pain when the needle was inserted into the vein to draw blood,
or even while it was being removed. The person who administered
this procedure to you was, in fact, a Phlebotomist trained in phlebotomy.
A Phlebotomist is a person who has the ability to find a vein beneath
the skin, inject the needle and extract blood with ease, even within
seconds.
They also monitor blood pressure and pulse
in situations like blood transfusions or blood donation at the blood
banks. Phlebotomists are integral and vital members of the healthcare
team, as the blood they collect is used for diagnostic testing which
helps the physicians to make informed decisions. They also act as
life guardians with their services at the blood banks encouraging
blood donation campaigns. Phlebotomy
is safe when done by a well-trained professional. The phlebotomist
bears in mind factors such as the bruising of the skin where it
is punctured, inflammation of veins, and possible chances of infection
at the punctured sites while performing venipunctures or skin punctures.
The skin puncture is done using finger sticks wherein small blood
samples need to be collected. In the case of infants, a heel stick
is used. |
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