The parent of a minor has the legal right to receive information about the child's tests, so providing this information should not result in a lawsuit. However, doing a fingerstick on a 6- month-old infant increases the risk of injury to the bone, and only heelsticks should be done on children younger than I year. Misidentifying a patient could result in a lawsuit if harm comes to the patient as a result. Lowering a bed rail and leaving it down increases the risk of patient fall and injury.

A butterfly infusion set is used for venipuncture in patients with small, fragile veins, such as the elderly, infants and small children, and adults with small antecubital veins. A butterfly set is not routinely used in obese patients.

If a vein collapses during a blood draw, the phlebotomist should apply gentle pressure on the vein above the venipuncture site with a flat index finger so that the vein fills with blood for a couple of seconds and then release, allowing the blood to continue to flow. Veins are most likely to collapse if blood was withdrawn too forcefully or if veins are small and fragile, such as may occur with older adults.

Increased levels of creatine kinase (CK) are associated with heart attack The PSA, or prostate specific antigen, level is used to test for prostate cancer. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is used in digestive system testing. Albumin is used in urinary system testing.

In selecting a vein for venipuncture, even visible veins should be palpated to judge suitability for venipuncture. If the median cubital vein cannot be located, the basilic vein should not be used unless no other vein is more prominent because of the possibility of nerve injury or damage to the brachial artery. Do not use veins that overlie or are located close to a pulse to avoid the risk of puncturing an artery. The thumb should not be used because it has a pulse and may cause a vein to be mistaken for an artery.