Phlebotomy Plan

CPT practice question: Routine Blood Collections

Routine Blood CollectionsDifficulty 2/5

Where should the thumb be placed when anchoring a vein for venipuncture?

  1. AOn either side of the venipuncture site, using the thumb and forefinger
  2. BBelow the venipuncture site, drawing the skin taut toward the wrist
  3. CAbove the venipuncture site, drawing the skin taut toward the shoulder
  4. DDirectly over the venipuncture site, pressing until the vein is visible
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. Anchoring below the site stabilises the vein without the phlebotomist's hand lying in the needle's path. WHO describes holding the arm and placing a thumb below the site.

  • C — Anchoring above places the hand in the path of the needle and does not stabilise the vein.
  • D — Pressing over the site collapses the vein and contaminates a prepared insertion point.
  • A — The two-handed technique puts a finger in the needle path and risks a needlestick.

Concept being tested

28 of the 100 scored items and the second largest domain. Equipment selection and verification, needle gauges and lengths, adapting technique for patients with burns, dementia or bleeding disorders, tourniquet application and removal, site selection by observation and palpation, antisepsis, anchoring the vein, needle insertion angle, following the order of draw for both venipuncture and capillary collection, recognising and responding to complications such as syncope, hematoma, petechiae and nerve pain, needle safety devices, tube inversion, dermal puncture, post-procedural care and labelling. — 28% of the exam. Study guide for Routine Blood Collections.

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Primary references

  1. WHO Guidelines on Drawing Blood: Best Practices in Phlebotomy — World Health Organization · government · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
  2. NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) — Test Plan for the CPT Exam — National Healthcareer Association (NHA) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07Reviewed by: Maria Torres, CPT, RMA (AMT), Clinical laboratory educator & venipuncture safety reviewHow we verify facts