An appropriate question to verify a patient's ID is "Can you tell me your name and birthdate?" Asking for direct information is important because if a patient is confused or hard of hearing. he or she may answer "yes" or "no" to questions incorrectly. For inpatients, the ID band should always be checked to verify the information that they provide. If patients do not have an ID band, which is common in the outpatient setting, they should be asked to provide and spell their names and provide their birthdates.

The urine culture and sensitivity (C&S) test is used to identify the bacteria or fungus that caused a urinary tract infection (UTI) and the medications that can successfully treat the UTI. An ACTH test is used to assess adrenocorticotropic hormone. A TSH test is used to assess thyroid- stimulating hormone levels. FBS is the fasting blood sugar test.

If a sample is designated as QNS, the quantity is not sufficient for the test that has been ordered. In this case, the sample is rejected and another sample must be obtained. QNS is a common reason for rejecting chemistry specimens. The phlebotomist should review requirements for tests to ensure that the volume of the specimen is adequate. Reasons for QNS may include using expired tubes (resulting in decreased vacuum) and not ensuring complete filling of the tube before changing tubes. QNS may also occur if a patient has difficult-to-access veins.

When venipuncture is performed in edematous tissue, the results will likely be altered because the sample may contain tissue fluid. Additionally, veins are often harder to locate in edematous tissue, and bleeding may persist longer than usual. Edematous tissue is more prone to injury from the tourniquet because the tissue is stretched. Whenever possible, a nonedematous site should be used for venipuncture. If the edema is because an IV has infiltrated, the phlebotomist must notify the nurse immediately.

When carrying out a rapid test for group A streptococci from a throat swab, if there is no blue control line on the dipstick at 5 minutes, the test is invalid, possibly because the dipstick is outdated. For the test a tube is filled with three drops each of reagents A and B and the swab is placed into the tube for 1 minute and rotated at least five times before removal. The dipstick is then placed in the tube for 5 minutes. The blue control line must appear within 5 minutes for a valid test. A positive finding is a pink or purple test line.