Phlebotomy Plan

CPT practice question: Routine Blood Collections

Routine Blood CollectionsDifficulty 3/5

According to WHO's phlebotomy guidance, when should the tourniquet be released?

  1. ABefore the needle is withdrawn, and always before two minutes have elapsed
  2. BAfter the needle is withdrawn, and always before two minutes have elapsed
  3. CBefore the needle is withdrawn, and always before ten minutes have elapsed
  4. DAfter the final tube is filled, with no limit on how long it may remain
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Prolonged tourniquet application causes haemoconcentration and alters results. WHO adds that some guidance releases it as soon as blood flow is established, and never beyond two minutes.

  • B — Releasing after withdrawal risks a haematoma, because the vein is still under pressure.
  • C — Ten minutes is far beyond the point at which haemoconcentration affects the specimen.
  • D — Leaving it in place without a limit is what the two-minute guidance exists to prevent.

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