88.6k views
4 votes
A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a blood draw on a patient who had a left-sided mastectomy and has an IV on her right side. In which of the following locations should the technician perform the draw?

A. left median cubital vein
B. above the IV
C. left dorsal vein
D. below the IV

User Ded
by
8.0k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The phlebotomy technician should perform the venipuncture on the left dorsal vein in the given scenario, avoiding areas affected by mastectomy and *IV infusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

A phlebotomy technician must carefully choose an appropriate site for venipuncture. Given a patient with a left-sided mastectomy and a right-sided IV, it is advised to avoid drawing blood from the same side as the mastectomy due to the risk of lymphedema and compromised lymphatic drainage, as well as from above or below an IV due to potential contamination or altered test results. Therefore, the correct location to perform the draw is the left dorsal vein (option C), provided that no other contraindications are present.

It is critical to note that the median cubital vein is indeed a common site for a blood draw; however, given the specifics of this case (left-sided mastectomy), it is not an appropriate choice. Additionally, drawing blood from above or below the IV on the patient's right arm could compromise the integrity of the blood sample.

User Noontz
by
8.3k points