For a legal blood specimen, what must be avoided during disinfection?

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Multiple Choice

For a legal blood specimen, what must be avoided during disinfection?

For a legal blood specimen, the goal is to prevent any contaminant from altering the test result for blood alcohol concentration. Alcohol-based disinfectants can leave residual ethanol on the puncture site, which may contaminate the blood sample and produce a falsely elevated reading. Therefore, you should avoid alcohol-based disinfectants and instead use a non-alcohol antiseptic—such as iodine-based (or chlorhexidine-based) preparations—and allow it to dry before drawing blood. This helps preserve the sample’s integrity so the result reflects the actual blood alcohol level. Using an alcohol antiseptic or skipping disinfection could introduce ethanol into the sample or create infection risk, while non-alcohol disinfectants avoid that specific contamination risk.

For a legal blood specimen, the goal is to prevent any contaminant from altering the test result for blood alcohol concentration. Alcohol-based disinfectants can leave residual ethanol on the puncture site, which may contaminate the blood sample and produce a falsely elevated reading. Therefore, you should avoid alcohol-based disinfectants and instead use a non-alcohol antiseptic—such as iodine-based (or chlorhexidine-based) preparations—and allow it to dry before drawing blood. This helps preserve the sample’s integrity so the result reflects the actual blood alcohol level. Using an alcohol antiseptic or skipping disinfection could introduce ethanol into the sample or create infection risk, while non-alcohol disinfectants avoid that specific contamination risk.

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