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Phlebotomy Technician Certification

Complications: practice questions

Our Phlebotomy bank has 8 questions on this topic. Here are 4 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1

What should you do if a patient faints during venipuncture?

  1. Leave them alone
  2. Remove the tourniquet and needle, lower their head, call for help and keep them safe
  3. Give them food immediately while unconscious
  4. Continue drawing
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B. Remove the tourniquet and needle, lower their head, call for help and keep them safe — Ask about fainting history before starting.

Question 2

What is a hematoma?

  1. A collection of blood under the skin causing swelling and bruising
  2. A fainting episode
  3. A blood clot in the lungs
  4. An infection
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A. A collection of blood under the skin causing swelling and bruising — Common causes: needle through the vein or inadequate pressure.

Question 3

If blood must be drawn from an arm with an IV, what is the recommended practice?

  1. Draw above the IV
  2. Draw without stopping the IV
  3. Draw from the IV line yourself
  4. Have the nurse stop the IV for at least 2 minutes and draw below the IV site, discarding the first few mL
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D. Have the nurse stop the IV for at least 2 minutes and draw below the IV site, discarding the first few mL — Note on the requisition that it was drawn below an IV.

Question 4

What are petechiae?

  1. Allergic hives
  2. Small red spots on the skin, sometimes from a tourniquet, that may indicate a bleeding problem
  3. Bruises from old draws
  4. Tattoos
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B. Small red spots on the skin, sometimes from a tourniquet, that may indicate a bleeding problem — Watch for prolonged bleeding.

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