Researchers Say Volume of Blood Collected from Hospitalized Myocardial Infarction Patients Can Contribute to Anemia
Findings may lead clinical pathology laboratories to update phlebotomy guidelines
What is the proper quantity of blood to draw from a patient for medical laboratory testing purposes? That question has been debated regularly for decades by pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists. Now a recent study shows a connection between blood draw practices and hospital-acquired anemia in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
The findings of this study serve as evidence that the quantity of blood drawn from hospital inpatients during phlebotomy procedures can potentially have a negative affect, at least for patients with certain health conditions. This study also shows how more detailed research can produce findings that lead to a change in clinical laboratory testing practices.
