A patient who is on droplet precautions requires daily blood glucose monitoring. Besides gloves, which piece of personal protective equipment must the phlebotomist wear when drawing the sample?

Choice A Reason:
The patient's condition is a critical factor as it can influence the ease of blood collection and the choice of collection site. For example, a dehydrated patient may have less accessible veins. Patient age is also important; pediatric and geriatric patients may require different approaches due to vein size and fragility. The blood volume required for testing must be considered to ensure sufficient sample size without compromising patient safety, adhering to guidelines that limit blood collection to a certain percentage of the patient's total blood volume.

Choice B Reason:
While patient height and gender may influence the choice of blood collection site, they are not as critical as the factors listed in choice A. Patient medications are important to consider, as some medications may affect coagulation or the integrity of the sample.

Choice C Reason:
The ordering physician's preferences may be considered, but they are not a primary factor in the method of collection. The number of tests ordered and the diagnosis can influence the volume of blood needed but are secondary to the patient's condition and safety considerations.

Choice D Reason:
The time of day and the timing of the specimen collection can be important for certain tests that are time-sensitive or influenced by diurnal variations. The test status, whether routine or stat, may affect the urgency of collection but not necessarily the method of collection.

Choice A reason:
Immunization schedules are not regulated by OSHA. They are typically overseen by public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. These agencies provide guidelines on when and which vaccines should be administered to various populations.

Choice B reason:
Patient privacy is primarily regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), not OSHA. HIPAA sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge.

Choice C reason:
The accuracy of laboratory results falls under the purview of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which are federal regulatory standards that apply to all clinical laboratory testing performed on humans in the United States, except for clinical trials and basic research.

Choice D reason:
Universal precautions are indeed regulated by OSHA. These are a set of infection control practices used to prevent transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin (including rashes), and mucous membranes. These precautions are designed to protect workers from exposure to diseases spread by blood and certain body fluids.