American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnician Certification Practice Exam

What condition could negatively affect the quality of a finger stick blood specimen?

1. Cold fingers

2. Swollen fingers

3. Dry skin

4. Superficial veins

The correct answer is: Swollen fingers

The condition that negatively affects the quality of a finger stick blood specimen is swollen fingers. Swelling can occur due to various reasons such as inflammation, fluid retention, or infection, which can lead to the distortion of blood vessels and tissues. This distortion can make it difficult to properly puncture the skin and obtain a good quality blood sample, potentially leading to hemolysis or contamination of the specimen. Additionally, swollen fingers can reduce blood flow and complicate the ability to collect an adequate volume of blood, thereby affecting the overall reliability of the results obtained from the specimen. Informed specimen collection practices ensure that the conditions are optimal for accurate analysis, and swelling is a clear impediment to achieving this goal. In contrast, while cold fingers, dry skin, and superficial veins may present challenges during blood collection, they do not typically have as significant an impact on the quality of the blood specimen itself compared to the effects of swelling.