Question

If an unlabeled specimen is received by the laboratory, what should the phlebotomy technician do?

1) Label the specimen immediately
2) Send the specimen back to the sender
3) Dispose of the specimen
4) Wait for further instructions

Answer 1

When a phlebotomy technician receives an unlabeled specimen, they should send it back to the sender instead of labeling it themselves, to ensure proper identification and patient safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

If an unlabeled specimen is received by the laboratory, the phlebotomy technician should not label the specimen themselves as it could lead to misidentification and incorrect patient results. The correct action for the phlebotomy technician to take is to send the specimen back to the sender. They should not dispose of the specimen or wait for further instructions because patient specimens are critical for diagnosis and treatment. It is important to maintain the integrity and traceability of the sample by ensuring that all specimens are properly labeled and identified at the point of collection.