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Routine Blood Collections terms

294 glossary entries from the Routine Blood Collections domain of the CPT test plan. Try free Routine Blood Collections practice questions.

  • -acPertaining to.
  • -algiaPain.
  • -blastImmature or forming (germ) cell.
  • -celeHernia, swelling, or bulging.
  • -centesisSurgical puncture to remove fluid.
  • -cideKilling or an agent that kills.
  • -cusisHearing.
  • -cyteCell.
  • -dyniaPain.
  • -eal, -ialPertaining to.
  • -ectasisDilation or stretching.
  • -ectomySurgical removal.
  • -edemaSwelling caused by fluid buildup in tissue.
  • -emesisVomiting.
  • -emiaBlood condition.
  • -esis, -sisState, condition, or process.
  • -gen, -genicProducing, causing, or origin.
  • -gramA record or picture produced by a test.
  • -graph, -graphyProcess of recording or making an image; -graph can also name the recording instrument.
  • -iaCondition.
  • -iasisCondition or formation of, often abnormal.
  • -iatry, -iatristMedical treatment (-iatry) or the specialist who provides it (-iatrist).
  • -ismCondition or state.
  • -itisInflammation.
  • -iumStructure or tissue.
  • -logistSpecialist in the study and treatment of a body part or disease.
  • -logyStudy of.
  • -lysisBreaking down, destruction, or dissolving.
  • -malaciaSoftening.
  • -megalyEnlargement.
  • -meterInstrument for measuring.
  • -metryProcess of measuring.
  • -oidResembling or like.
  • -ole, -uleSmall.
  • -omaTumor or mass.
  • -opiaVision condition.
  • -opsyViewing or examination.
  • -osisAbnormal condition or increase.
  • -ostomy, -stomySurgical creation of an opening.
  • -otomy, -tomyCutting into; incision.
  • -ousPertaining to or having the quality of.
  • -paresisPartial paralysis or weakness.
  • -pathyDisease.
  • -peniaDeficiency or too few.
  • -phagiaEating or swallowing.
  • -phasiaSpeech.
  • -phobiaFear.
  • -plasiaFormation or growth.
  • -plasmFormation or growth; formed material.
  • -plastySurgical repair or reconstruction.
  • -plegiaParalysis.
  • -pneaBreathing.
  • -poiesisProduction or formation.
  • -ptysisSpitting or coughing up.
  • -rrhage, -rrhagiaBleeding, usually heavy.
  • -rrheaFlow or discharge.
  • -sclerosisHardening.
  • -scopeInstrument used to examine.
  • -scopyVisual examination with a scope.
  • -spasmSudden involuntary muscle contraction.
  • -stasisStopping or controlling; standing still.
  • -stenosisNarrowing.
  • -taxiaOrder or coordination of movement.
  • -thoraxChest or chest cavity.
  • -trophyGrowth or development.
  • -uriaUrine or urination condition.
  • a-, an-Without, not, or lacking.
  • ab-Away from.
  • ABO blood groupSystem that types blood as A, B, AB or O, depending on which A and B antigens are on the red cells.
  • acid citrate dextroseACD: additive in pale yellow-top tubes; WHO lists HLA tissue typing, paternity testing and DNA studies.
  • ad-Toward or near.
  • additiveAnything put in a collection tube on purpose, such as an anticoagulant, clot activator, separator gel or preservative…
  • ALT, ASTAlanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase: enzymes released when liver cells are damaged; both are part…
  • ambi-Both or both sides.
  • anchoringHolding the skin taut with the thumb below the site, pulling toward the hand, so the vein stays still as the needle…
  • anemiaToo few red cells or too little hemoglobin, lowering oxygen delivery. Repeated blood draws can contribute, especially…
  • angi/oBlood vessel.
  • ante-Before or in front of.
  • antecubital fossaThe hollow at the front of the elbow where the median cubital, cephalic and basilic veins lie; the main venipuncture…
  • anti-Against or opposing.
  • antibodyA protein the immune system makes against a specific antigen. Antibodies against foreign red-cell antigens are why…
  • anticoagulantPrevents clotting: tube additives like EDTA, citrate and heparin, and blood thinners like warfarin, which make…
  • antigenA marker the immune system recognizes. Red-cell antigens such as A, B and the Rh factor decide a person's blood type.
  • antisepticA germ-killing agent for skin and living tissue, such as 70% isopropyl alcohol for routine venipuncture; disinfectants…
  • aort/oAorta, the largest artery.
  • arteri/oArtery.
  • arteryA vessel carrying blood away from the heart under high pressure. It pulses when palpated, which helps the phlebotomist…
  • ather/oFatty plaque or deposit.
  • atriumAn upper heart chamber. The right one collects blood coming back from the body; the left one collects oxygen-rich…
  • auto-Self.
  • basilic veinVein on the little-finger side of the antecubital area; the last choice, because the brachial artery and median nerve…
  • bevelThe slanted, sharp tip of a needle. For venipuncture the bevel faces up as the needle enters the vein.
  • bi-Two or twice.
  • bio-Life or living tissue.
  • blood pressurePressure of circulating blood against artery walls, recorded as systolic/diastolic in mm Hg. A cuff used in place of a…
  • blood transfer deviceSafety device for moving syringe blood into vacuum tubes; the tube vacuum draws the blood in, so the plunger is never…
  • brachi/oArm.
  • brachial pulseThe pulse of the brachial artery at the inner elbow. The artery runs near the basilic vein, which is why that vein is…
  • brady-Slow.
  • BUNBlood urea nitrogen: a kidney-function blood test, usually run as part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel.
  • calcaneusThe heel bone. An infant heel puncture that reaches it can cause bone infection (osteomyelitis).
  • capillaryThe smallest blood vessel, where oxygen, nutrients and wastes pass between blood and tissue. A skin puncture collects…
  • cardi/oHeart.
  • carp/oWrist (carpal bones).
  • cata-Down or breaking down.
  • cephalic veinVein on the thumb side of the forearm and antecubital area; the second choice for venipuncture after the median…
  • circum-Around.
  • clot activatorAdditive that makes blood clot faster so serum can be obtained; carried over into a citrate tube, it can distort…
  • clotted specimenClots in a tube that should stay unclotted, often from too few or too-late inversions; rejected for hematology and…
  • coagulationClotting: the chain of reactions in which clotting factors turn fibrinogen into a mesh of fibrin that holds a blood…
  • cold packCold compress applied to a hematoma in the first 24 to 48 hours to limit swelling, later followed by warm compresses.
  • collapsed veinA vein that flattens during the draw, often when a large tube or syringe pulls too hard on a small vein; use smaller…
  • con-With or together.
  • contra-Against or opposite.
  • crossmatchTesting done before a transfusion, except in emergencies, to check that donor blood is compatible with the patient's…
  • CRPC-reactive protein: measured in a blood sample to look for inflammation in the body.
  • cutane/oSkin.
  • cyt/oCell.
  • dactyl/oFinger or toe.
  • de-Away from, removal, or loss of.
  • dehydrationA shortage of body water. Post-procedure care, as after a blood donation, includes encouraging fluids (hydration).
  • derm/o, dermat/oSkin.
  • dermal punctureCapillary collection: a lancet pierces the fingertip, or an infant's heel, to obtain a few drops of blood for…
  • dermisThe skin layer under the epidermis that contains capillaries and nerves; a dermal (skin) puncture reaches it to…
  • dextro-Right or right side.
  • dia-Through, across, or apart.
  • diaphoresisHeavy sweating. With pallor, nausea or dizziness during a draw, it can warn of a vasovagal reaction and fainting.
  • diastolic pressureThe second, lower blood pressure reading: arterial pressure between beats, while the ventricles rest and fill.
  • diplo-Double or twofold.
  • dis-Apart, separation, or reversal.
  • discard tubePlain tube drawn first when a winged set is used and sodium citrate is the first tube, so tubing air does not leave…
  • dys-Difficult, painful, or abnormal.
  • dyspneaDifficult or labored breathing (shortness of breath). A patient who becomes short of breath during collection needs…
  • ecto-, exo-Outside or outer.
  • EDTAEthylenediaminetetraacetic acid: binds calcium to keep blood unclotted; the lavender-top additive for hematology…
  • ef-Out of or away from.
  • en-In or inside.
  • endo-Within or inner.
  • epi-Upon, over, or on top of.
  • erythemaRedness of the skin from increased blood flow. Unlike petechiae or a bruise, it fades (blanches) when pressed.
  • erythr/oRed.
  • erythrocyteRed blood cell: a disk-shaped cell without a nucleus that carries oxygen bound to hemoglobin.
  • ESRErythrocyte sedimentation rate: measures how far red cells fall in a standing tube in a set time; faster settling…
  • eu-Good, normal, or well.
  • evacuated tubeA sealed tube with a preset vacuum that draws a set blood volume when its stopper is pierced by the back of a…
  • evacuated tube systemClosed system of a multisample safety needle, a tube holder and vacuum tubes. Needle and holder go into the sharps…
  • ex-Out of, away from, or beyond.
  • extra-Outside of or beyond.
  • fibrinProtein threads formed from fibrinogen during clotting that bind platelets and blood cells into a clot.
  • fibrinogenA clotting protein in plasma that is converted into fibrin; plasma contains it, serum does not.
  • formed elementsThe solid part of blood: red cells, white cells and platelets (cell fragments), suspended in the liquid plasma.
  • gaugeThe number for a needle's bore: the higher the gauge, the thinner the needle. A 21-gauge needle is typical for routine…
  • gluc/o, glyc/oGlucose or sugar.
  • glycolytic inhibitorAdditive, most often sodium fluoride in gray-top tubes, that keeps cells from consuming glucose after collection, so…
  • HCTHematocrit: the share of whole blood occupied by packed red cells, given as a percentage. ISMP also flags HCT as…
  • heel stickCapillary puncture on the medial or lateral plantar surface of an infant's heel, used from birth to about 6 months…
  • hem/o, hemat/oBlood.
  • hematomaSwelling from blood leaking into tissue at the puncture, for example when the needle goes through the vein or the arm…
  • hemi-Half or one side.
  • hemoconcentrationRise in cell and protein concentration when plasma water leaves the vein, as with a tourniquet left on too long…
  • hemoglobinIron-based protein packed inside red cells; it picks up oxygen in the lungs, releases it to tissues and makes blood…
  • hemolysisRupture of red cells that releases hemoglobin and potassium into serum or plasma, tinting it pink to red and falsely…
  • hemostasisThe body's process for stopping bleeding: the vessel narrows, platelets form a plug, then coagulation builds a fibrin…
  • heparinAnticoagulant that blocks thrombin. Green-top tubes hold lithium or sodium heparin for plasma chemistry; it is also…
  • hetero-Other or different.
  • homeo-Similar, same, or unchanging.
  • homo-Same or alike.
  • hydr/oWater or fluid.
  • hypo-Below normal, under, or deficient.
  • hypotensionLow blood pressure. It can make a patient dizzy or faint, so watch closely during and after the draw.
  • iatrogenic anemiaAnemia caused by medical care, such as repeated blood draws; collect only the volume needed, especially from infants…
  • idio-One's own, self or individual.
  • in-, im-Not; in some words, in or into.
  • infra-Below or beneath.
  • inter-Between.
  • intra-Within or inside.
  • inversionGently turning a filled additive tube upside down and back, the number of times the manufacturer specifies, to mix…
  • iso-Equal or the same.
  • isopropyl alcoholThe usual antiseptic for routine venipuncture, as 70% alcohol, applied with firm pressure and left to air-dry before…
  • jaundiceYellow skin and eyes from too much bilirubin. The patient's serum or plasma may look dark yellow (icteric), which can…
  • lancetSterile, single-use device that punctures the skin for capillary collection; its length is chosen for the site and the…
  • leuk/oWhite.
  • leukocyteWhite blood cell: a cell with a nucleus that defends the body against infection; types include neutrophils…
  • LFTLiver function tests: a group of blood tests, such as ALT, AST and bilirubin, that show how well the liver is working.
  • lip/oFat or lipid.
  • lithium heparinHeparin salt in many green-top tubes for plasma chemistry. It adds lithium, so lithium levels use sodium heparin…
  • Luer adapterConnector joining a winged set's tubing to a tube holder; it may be a threaded Luer lock or a friction-fit Luer slip.
  • lumenThe hollow channel inside a needle or vessel. Needle gauge describes the size of the needle's lumen.
  • lymph/oLymph, the fluid of the lymphatic system.
  • macro-Large.
  • mal-Bad, poor, or abnormal.
  • MCVMean corpuscular volume: a CBC index telling whether red cells are, on average, normal, small or large in size.
  • median cubital veinVein crossing the antecubital fossa between the cephalic and basilic veins; first choice for venipuncture because it…
  • mega-, megalo-Large or great.
  • meso-Middle.
  • meta-Change, after, or beyond.
  • micro-Small.
  • microcollection containerSmall tube for capillary blood from a skin puncture, plain or with an additive; most analyzers need a carrier tube or…
  • mono-One or single.
  • multi-Many.
  • multisample needleDouble-ended needle for the evacuated tube system: one end enters the vein, the other pierces each tube stopper in the…
  • my/o, muscul/oMuscle.
  • myc/oFungus.
  • myel/oBone marrow or spinal cord.
  • necr/oDeath (of cells or tissue).
  • needle hubThe base of a needle that attaches to the holder or syringe; a flash of blood appears there when the vein is entered.
  • needle safety deviceBuilt-in feature, such as a shield or a retracting needle, engaged right after the needle leaves the vein to prevent…
  • neo-New.
  • nerve injuryDamage to a nerve by the needle: electric-shock-like or stabbing pain, tingling or numbness. Remove the needle at once…
  • neur/oNerve or nervous system.
  • neutrophilGranular white cell that is most plentiful in blood; it is first to reach infected tissue, where it swallows and…
  • non-Not or without.
  • normo-Normal.
  • oligo-Few, scanty, or too little.
  • order of drawCLSI venous tube sequence that stops additive carryover: blood cultures, sodium citrate, serum tubes, heparin, EDTA…
  • ortho-Straight, upright, normal, or correct.
  • orthostatic hypotensionA drop in blood pressure on standing up that causes dizziness or fainting; have a patient rest before getting up after…
  • osteomyelitisInfection of bone; a known complication of an infant heel puncture that reaches the calcaneus.
  • oxy-Oxygen; also sharp or quick.
  • palpationFeeling with the index fingertip to find a vein and judge its size, depth and direction; the thumb is not used because…
  • pan-All or everywhere.
  • para-Beside, near, or abnormal.
  • path/oDisease.
  • ped/oChild; in some words, foot.
  • per-Through.
  • peri-Around or surrounding.
  • petechiaeTiny red pinpoint dots from bleeding under the skin. They may appear below a tourniquet and can point to a platelet or…
  • phleb/o, ven/oVein.
  • phlebitisInflammation of a vein, most often from a clot (thrombophlebitis); a phlebitic vein is avoided for venipuncture.
  • phlebotomyDrawing blood, by venipuncture or skin puncture, for laboratory testing, donation or treatment.
  • plantar surfaceThe sole of the foot. Infant heel punctures are made on its medial or lateral sides.
  • plasmaThe liquid part of unclotted blood, separated by centrifuging a tube that contains an anticoagulant; it still contains…
  • plateletThrombocyte: a small cell fragment that sticks at a vessel injury to form a plug and helps clotting. Low counts raise…
  • poly-Many, much, or excessive.
  • post-After or behind.
  • potassium oxalateAnticoagulant often paired with sodium fluoride in gray-top glucose tubes.
  • povidone-iodineIodine antiseptic. Carried into a sample it may falsely raise potassium, phosphorus or uric acid, so alcohol is…
  • pre-Before or in front of.
  • pro-Before or forward; also favoring.
  • probingMoving the needle around blindly under the skin to find a missed vein; WHO advises avoiding it because it can damage…
  • prolonged bleedingBleeding at the puncture site past about 5 minutes; keep pressing, never bandage over active bleeding, and notify the…
  • PSAProstate-specific antigen: a protein made by the prostate gland; its blood level helps screen for and follow prostate…
  • pseudo-False.
  • pulmonary circulationBlood flow from the right ventricle through the lungs, where it picks up oxygen, and back to the left atrium.
  • pulseThe throb of an artery with each heartbeat. A pulse under the fingertip means an artery is there; do not puncture it…
  • py/oPus.
  • pyr/oFever or fire.
  • quadri-Four.
  • RBCShort for red blood cell (erythrocyte). On a lab report it usually means the red cell count: how many are present in a…
  • re-Again or back.
  • refluxBackflow of tube contents into the vein; keeping the arm angled downward while tubes fill prevents it.
  • retro-Backward or behind.
  • Rh factorRed-cell antigen tested with the ABO type: people who have it are Rh-positive; those who lack it are Rh-negative.
  • rolling veinA vein that slides away from the needle; anchoring the skin taut below the site holds it in place.
  • scler/oHard; also the sclera (white of the eye).
  • sclerosed veinA hardened, cordlike vein, often from damage or clotting; it does not spring back when pressed and is not used for…
  • semi-Half or partly.
  • serumThe liquid left after blood clots and is centrifuged; it lacks the clotting factors used up in the clot. Collected in…
  • serum separator tubeGold or red-gray (tiger) top. Its clot activator speeds clotting; when the tube is spun, its gel moves to sit between…
  • sinistro-Left or left side.
  • small-volume tubeStandard-size tube with a weaker vacuum that draws less blood; used for children and fragile veins to reduce vein…
  • sodium citrateAnticoagulant that binds calcium, used in light blue-top tubes for coagulation tests. Fill to the line to keep the 1:9…
  • sphygmomanometerA blood pressure cuff with a gauge. It can serve as a tourniquet when inflated to just below the patient's diastolic…
  • sub-Under or below.
  • super-Above, over, or excessive.
  • supra-Above or over.
  • syn-, sym-Together or joined.
  • syncopeFainting: brief loss of consciousness when too little blood reaches the brain. If it starts during a draw, stop…
  • syringeBarrel and plunger used with a needle or winged set, often for small or fragile veins; a 1 to 5 mL syringe avoids…
  • systemic circulationBlood flow from the left ventricle through the arteries to the body's tissues and back through the veins to the right…
  • systolic pressureThe upper blood pressure number: the peak pressure in the arteries while the ventricles contract.
  • tachy-Fast or rapid.
  • tetra-Four.
  • thromb/oBlood clot.
  • thrombinClotting enzyme that turns fibrinogen into fibrin. Orange-top tubes use a thrombin-based clot activator to give serum.
  • thrombusA blood clot formed inside a vessel. A thrombosed vein feels hard or cordlike and is not used for venipuncture.
  • tourniquetBand tied 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in, about 4 to 5 finger widths) above the site to slow venous return so veins fill…
  • trans-Across or through.
  • tri-Three.
  • TSHThyroid-stimulating hormone: a pituitary hormone measured in a blood sample to check how the thyroid is working.
  • tube holderPlastic barrel that holds the tube and shields the hand. It stays attached to the used needle and is discarded with it…
  • uni-One.
  • ur/o, urin/oUrine or the urinary tract.
  • urethr/oUrethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
  • vas/o, vascul/oVessel, usually a blood vessel.
  • vasovagal reactionReflex slowing of the heart and drop in blood pressure: pale, sweaty, nauseated or dizzy, sometimes fainting, during…
  • veinA vessel that carries blood back toward the heart under low pressure. Superficial arm veins are the usual venipuncture…
  • vein finderA transilluminator or similar device that lights up veins under the skin to help locate a hard-to-find vein.
  • venipunctureEntering a vein with a needle to withdraw blood, usually at the antecubital area of the arm.
  • venous stasisSlowed blood flow in the veins below a tourniquet. Prolonged stasis causes hemoconcentration and can alter results…
  • ventricleOne of the two lower heart chambers: the right pumps blood to the lungs, the left to the rest of the body.
  • WBCShort for white blood cell (leukocyte). On a lab report it usually means the white cell count: how many are present in…
  • whole bloodBlood with its cells and plasma together, kept unclotted with an anticoagulant; used for tests such as the CBC.
  • winged collection setShort needle with plastic wings and flexible tubing, used with a holder or syringe for small, fragile or hand veins…