Phlebotomy Services

Phlebotomy or venipuncture is necessary for the diagnosis of many diseases that may be present in an individual. Phlebotomy is the drawing of blood from a vein that is usually superficial or visible. The drawn blood is then sent to a laboratory for testing for pathogens or toxic chemicals, as well as information about the patient’s health. These tests include but are not limited to:

  • CBC or complete blood count
  • Basic metabolic count
  • Complete metabolic panel
  • Thyroid tests
  • Vitamin D blood test
  • Glucose test
  • Iron deficiency test
  • Hemoglobin test
  • Estradiol / testosterone blood test

Procedure

At times, some tests that require phlebotomy need certain circumstances to provide accurate results. For example, some tests such as glucose tests require that you not fast for 8-12 hours before the blood is drawn. In most cases, your provider will give you relevant instructions before the day of your blood draw, so not to worry.

Phlebotomist drawing blood from patient

A blood sample is usually drawn from a part of the body where a vein can be easily accessed. An ideal location that most phlebotomists, including ours, use is the inside of the elbow on your arm. On some occasions, it is a bit difficult to locate the vein. In this case, the phlebotomist then ties an elastic band on the top of your arm and asks you to clench your hand into a fist. This causes blood flow to stop to some extent, and blood accumulates in the veins in the crook of your arm. This makes the veins more noticeable, so your phlebotomist can draw blood more accurately.

Before pricking your arm, the phlebotomist will wipe the area down with some rubbing alcohol to disinfect the area. The needle is then inserted into the vein to take blood into a tube. After collecting the blood, the needle is removed, and the little puncture wound is bandaged.

Results

The blood samples are then sent to the laboratory where they go through a couple of rounds of processing, such as centrifugation (spinning of tubes circularly to separate contents). After which, they are tested for pathogens, constituents, or chemicals. This results are interpreted by your provider and communicated to you in a follow-up appointment.

Phlebotomy Technicians in Palatine, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Barrington & Bartlett, IL 

For more information, call Women’s HealthFirst at (847) 808-8884 or request your appointment now. We have five locations near Chicago, Illinois, to serve you. Established patients are encouraged to visit the convenient online patient portal to request an appointment, message our team, update their records, and more.