A nurse is having difficulty performing venipuncture to obtain a blood specimen for serum electrolytes.When the laboratory results return, they show that the patient's potassium level is elevated.Which factors during the venipuncture procedure may have resulted in a false high for potassium? Select all that apply.
A)Cleansing the site with alcohol
B)Inverting the specimen tube gently
C)Prolonging the time the tourniquet is applied
D)Using the veins of the foot for venipuncture
E)Pumping the patient's hand vigorously

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prolonging the time the tourniquet is applied and pumping the patient's hand vigorously can cause false high potassium levels. Cleansing the site with alcohol is necessary to prevent contamination, inverting the specimen tube gently is necessary for proper mixing of the blood and the anticoagulant, and using the veins of the foot for venipuncture is not generally recommended due to increased risk of contamination and infection.

A Nurse Is Having Difficulty Performing Venipuncture to Obtain a Blood