capillary puncture
Medical term Phlebotomy
Puncturing the skin of a fingertip or infant heel with a lancet to collect a small blood sample, often for point-of-care tests.
Related terms
- lancetA small, sharp device used to puncture the skin for a capillary blood sample.
- anticoagulantA substance that prevents blood from clotting, such as heparin, EDTA or sodium citrate in tubes, or warfarin…
- basilic veinA superficial vein on the little-finger side of the arm; it lies near the brachial artery and a nerve, so it…
- buffy coatThe thin pale layer of white cells and platelets between red cells and plasma in centrifuged blood.
- butterfly needleA winged infusion set: a needle with plastic wings and tubing, used with a syringe or evacuated tubes.
- centrifugeA machine that spins specimens at high speed to separate serum or plasma from blood cells.
- cephalic veinA superficial vein on the thumb side of the arm, often used for venipuncture.
- chain of custodyWritten documentation of everyone who handles a specimen, such as for a drug test, from collection to…
- clot activatorA tube additive that speeds clotting so serum can be separated; it can interfere with coagulation tests.
Study Phlebotomy