After greeting the patient, a phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a blood draw on a patient in an inpatient facility. Which of the following actions should the technician take next?

Choice A Reason:
Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of infections within health care settings. By thoroughly cleaning hands, phlebotomists and other health care workers can significantly reduce the transmission of pathogens that can lead to health care-associated infections (HAIs). These infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients and can be prevented by adhering to strict hand hygiene protocols.

Choice B Reason:
While hand hygiene is crucial for preventing contamination and infection, it does not directly increase the accuracy of laboratory results. The accuracy of laboratory results is more dependent on the proper collection, handling, and processing of specimens, as well as the precision of the testing equipment and methodologies used.

Choice C Reason:
Good hand hygiene can help decrease the rejection of laboratory specimens by preventing contamination. Contaminated specimens can lead to inaccurate results and may need to be recollected, which is inconvenient for the patient and can delay diagnosis and treatment. However, the primary outcome of proper hand hygiene is the prevention of HAIs, rather than the reduction of specimen rejection.

Choice D Reason:
Proper hand hygiene leads to a decrease, not an increase, in the potential sources of pathogens. By effectively removing germs from the hands, the risk of transmitting infectious agents is minimized. This is essential in a health care setting where patients may be vulnerable to infections due to weakened immune systems or open wounds.

Choice A Reason:
Contacting the physician by paging or calling right away is the most appropriate action when critical values are confirmed on a laboratory test. Critical values are defined as those that indicate the patient is in danger of death unless treatment is initiated immediately. Immediate notification of the responsible licensed caregiver is required so that appropriate clinical action can be taken for the patient. This is a standard procedure compliant with CLIA regulation 493.1109(f) and is essential for patient safety.

Choice B Reason:
Leaving a message at the physician's office number is not an adequate response to confirmed critical values. Messages can be overlooked or not checked until the next business day, which could delay necessary urgent medical interventions.

Choice C Reason:
Calling the physician's office on the next business day is not acceptable when dealing with critical values. The urgency of critical results requires immediate action, and waiting until the next business day could result in significant harm or death to the patient.

Choice D Reason:
Faxing the results to the physician's office with a stat fax cover is not sufficient for immediate communication of critical values. While the fax may indicate urgency, there is no guarantee that the fax will be seen immediately by the physician or their staff. Direct communication through paging or calling ensures that the critical information is relayed without delay.