Question

A phlebotomy technician has a request to collect a routine CBC from a healthy 10 month old infant. Which of the following collection sites should the technician select?

A. third finger of either hand
B. median antecubital vein
C. cephalic vein
D. either heel

Answer 1

The correct site to select for a CBC collection on a healthy 10-month-old infant is the heel, where a capillary stick can be performed effectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a phlebotomy technician is requested to collect a routine Complete Blood Count (CBC) from a healthy 10-month-old infant, the appropriate collection site is typically the heel. This is because infants have small, fragile veins that are not well-developed, and their fingers are also too small, making venous blood draws more difficult and traumatic. Therefore, for infants, a capillary stick technique is used, often on the heel, where the skin is thicker and capillaries are closer to the surface, which allows for an adequate sample size with minimal discomfort.