During a venipuncture, the needle is in the vein and blood flow is established. When the second tube is attached, blood flow stops. Which of the following actions should the phlebotomist take?

Choice A reason:
Wearing gloves is an important step in preventing the spread of infection, but it is not the first step. Gloves provide a barrier between the phlebotomist's hands and the patient, which can help prevent the transmission of pathogens. However, gloves can still become contaminated, and if hand hygiene is not performed before donning gloves, pathogens can be transmitted when gloves are changed or removed.

Choice B reason:
Hand hygiene is widely recognized as the single most important practice in preventing the spread of infections. It is the first line of defense against the transmission of infectious agents. Washing hands with antimicrobial soap and water mechanically removes pathogens, and the antimicrobial agents in the soap can kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. This step is crucial before any patient contact, especially before invasive procedures like venipuncture.

Choice C reason:
Applying antiseptic to the puncture sites prior to venipuncture is a critical step in the prevention of infection at the site of the blood draw. This practice is essential for eliminating skin flora that could potentially enter the bloodstream during venipuncture. However, this is not the first step, as effective hand hygiene should precede any patient contact or procedure.

Choice D reason:
Decontaminating equipment before use is a necessary step to ensure that no infectious agents are transmitted via medical instruments. This includes cleaning and sterilizing equipment that comes into direct contact with the patient. While this is a vital part of infection control, it follows hand hygiene in the sequence of steps a phlebotomist should take.

Choice A reason:
The laboratory accession number is a unique identifier assigned to a patient's specimen once it is received by the laboratory. While it is an important piece of information, it is not provided by the physician's office to the phlebotomist for specimen collection. Instead, it is generated by the laboratory after the specimen is collected and submitted for analysis.

Choice B reason:
The Physician's NPI (National Provider Identifier) number is a unique identification number for covered health care providers in the United States. While it is used for billing and identification purposes, it is not the information that the physician's office needs to provide to a phlebotomist for the purpose of specimen collection.

Choice C reason:
The laboratory requisition form is the correct document that should be provided by the physician's office. This form contains the patient's demographic information, the tests ordered by the physician, special instructions for specimen collection, and any other pertinent information required for proper specimen handling and testing.

Choice D reason:
The physician's encounter form typically contains details of the patient's visit, including services provided, diagnoses, and billing information. It is not specifically used for laboratory specimen collection and therefore is not the information that should be provided to a phlebotomist for this purpose.