m. STEP 13: Deflate and remove tourniquet. Remove needle from arm. Apply
pressure with a sterile sponge and have donor raise arm (elbow straight) and hold
gauze firmly over phlebotomy site with other hand.
n. STEP 14: Discard needle assembly into special container designed to
o. STEP 15: Strip donor tubing as completely as possible, starting at the seal
going into the bag. It is important to work quickly before initiation of coagulation occurs.
p. STEP 16: Invert bag several times to mix thoroughly; then allow tubing to
refill with anticoagulated blood from the bag.
q. STEP 17: Keep the tubing attached to the bag and sealed into sterile
segments, suitable for compatibility testing, using knots, metal clips, or a dielectric
sealer (see figure 1-8). A final double seal should be made within 2 inches of the bag. It
must be possible to separate segments from container without breaking sterility of
container.
Figure 1-8. Procedure for collecting pilot tube specimens.
MD0845
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