Blood Questions

1. Was the blood drawn by a phlebotomist or  venipuncturist?
2. In what position was the patient placed?
3. What was the patient’s blood pressure?
4. What was the patient’s temperature?
5. Was there an inquiry regarding health issues to the patient?
6. Did the patient have any allergies?
7. Was the patient allergic to iodine?
8. Was the patient allergic to latex?
9. Did the patient have any blood dyscrasias, anemias, leukemias, leukopenias, thrombocytopenia, etc?
10. Did the patient have any clotting disorders?
11. Did the patient have any blood borne diseases?
12. Was the patient suffering from HIV. Hepatitis C, etc.?
13. What site was selected?
14. What arm was used?
15. What name was used?
16. Were there any skin lesions?
17. Were there any scars?
18. Was a blood kit used?
19. If so, what was the expiration date of the blood kit?
20. Was there a seal on the blood kit?
21. Were there instructions in the blood kit?
22. Were the seals on the tubes?
23. Were  the seals intact?
24. What kind of tubes were used?
25. What was the size of the tubes in milliliters?
26. Was there anything in the tubes?
27. What was used to prepare the skin?
28. What color was the swab?
29. What was the expiration date of the swab?
30. Was the swab used in an up and down motion, across or in circles from the outside in or from the inside out?
31. How much blood was In the tubes?
32. What type of preservative was used?
33. How much of the preservative was used?
34. 34. How much blood was in each tube when it arrived in the laboratory?
35. What type of anticoagulant was used?
36. Was the anticoagulant potassium acetate (EDTA) or potassium oxalate?
37. Were the tubes tested for Candiea Albacans?
38. How big was the needle that was used?
39. Was the needle all the way in the vein?
40. Was the needle taken out of the vein first or was the tube taken out of the venipuncture apparatus first?
41. Was there any notation to distinguish between the first and second tube?
42. How was the blood mixed with the chemicals in the tube?
43. Is the chain of custody an unbroken chain?
    I am a Medical Review Officer (MRO) for workplace testing and other civil cases. An MRO is required to review drug and alcohol testing. That review includes the chain of custody. A broken or incomplete chain of custody is a fatal flaw in the procedure. Without a complete chain of custody the test cannot be relied upon.
44. What were the DNA test results?
45. How much time elapsed before refrigeration?
46. At what temperature was the sample refrigerated?
47. How was the sample transported to the laboratory?
48. Over what period of time was this transportation to the laboratory and at what temperature?
49. Are there any Laboratory Information Management (LIM) system notes?
50. Are there any Gas Chromatology/Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) graphs?
51. Was a trauma survey done to assess for internal bleeding?
52. Did the patient move during the blood draw or a test done on the sample for preserving anticoagulants in sugar?
53. What was the expiration date on the betadine?
54. What was the expiration date on the needle?
55. What temperature were the tubes stored at?
56. How long was the betadine left on the skin?

 
Without answers to these questions it is difficult to assign any degree of reliability to the results of the blood tests. I do not have answers to any of these questions.