Is blood collection using vacutainers better than the conventional method ?
• A2.There are many ways in which blood can be drawn from a vein. The best method varies with the age of the patient, equipment available, and tests required. Most blood collection in the US and UK is done with an evacuated tube system. Two common systems are Vacutainer and Vacuette. The equipment consists of a plastic hub, a hypodermic needle, and a vacuum tube. The conventional method uses a plastic disposable needle and syringe for drawing blood. In our country, the conventional method is still prevalent in most places. The vacutainer system allows mixing of the right amount of blood with prefilled measured additives. There is no variation of cell morphology and other biochemical parameters due to squeezing of the blood sample through the conventional syringe. Multiple vacuum tubes can be attached to and removed in turn from a single needle, allowing different kinds of blood samples to be obtained from a single venipuncture. However, care has to be taken to put the needle properly i
