Middle of the Night Blood Draws
A phlebotomist (some patients call them vampires, my husband being one of those patients) comes into your hospital room in the middle of the night, flips a switch on the wall, and floods your room in light. Coming out of a deep sleep, you are momentarily blinded and wonder what is so important that my sleep must be so rudely interrupted? Oh no. Another person coming to take blood. More needle sticks.
An Inconvenience that Ultimately Benefits the Patient
You already feel like the most popular pin cushion in town. This is not fun at all. I don't know of anyone who enjoys having their blood drawn, especially in the middle of the night. The reason this task is done at such a miserable hour is because the personnel drawing the blood have many patients to see, and lab work should ideally be resulted and in the chart by the time physicians start to round. It's one of those unpleasant necessities that ultimately benefits the patient.
But Are You the Right Patient?
It may be necessary to draw blood in the middle of the night, but it is imperative that the blood being drawn is taken from the right patient! Imagine a physician coming into your room early in the morning to share the news that you have cancer or diabetes or perhaps your hemoglobin is so low that you need a blood transfusion. And imagine finding out later that those lab results came from another patient's blood! This is an error that can and does happen, though hopefully it happens rarely. (Most phlebotomists are meticulous about doing a positive patient identification.) It should never happen at all, because the very first thing the phlebotomist must do once before ever drawing your blood is to ask for your name and birthdate. Comparing the information you give with the information on the order will ensure that the blood is being drawn from the correct patient.
No ID, No Blood!
If you or a friend or family member is ever a patient in the hospital, do not allow the phlebotomist to draw blood until he or she asks you for a name and birthdate. Watch to make sure they are looking at an order or the lab label to verify that they have the correct patient. If the phlebotomist fails to make a positive patient identification, simply ask him or her "What is the name and birthdate of the patient you are supposed to be drawing blood from? Can I see the label please?" When I get my blood drawn in the lab, the phlebotomist always shows me the label and asks me to verify its accuracy.
Don't Let it Happen to You
I'm aware of a recent case where a phlebotomist drew a patient's blood and then checked the label. He said to the patient, "Oh you're the wrong patient," and threw the vials of blood in the sharps container. It was a potentially dangerous situation, and it created discomfort for the patient and blood being drawn unnecessarily. Don't let this happen to you!
