NHA CPT key terms

A set of infection-control practices applied to every patient regardless of diagnosis, including hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection when contact with blood or body fluids is likely.

Barrier items such as gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eye protection worn to prevent skin, clothing, and mucous membranes from contacting infectious material or hazardous chemicals.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub at defined moments, such as before and after patient contact, after glove removal, and after touching contaminated surfaces or specimens.

The ordered removal of contaminated protective equipment so that clean areas are not touched by soiled surfaces, generally gloves first, then face protection, then gown, with hand hygiene afterward.

A written employer program describing how bloodborne pathogen risks are identified and controlled, including engineering controls, work practice controls, vaccination offers, and post-exposure procedures.

Medical evaluation and preventive treatment offered after a needlestick, splash, or other occupational exposure, including source testing and counseling for bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B and HIV.

A confidential record of percutaneous injuries from needles, lancets, or broken glass, documenting the device involved, the circumstances, and the exposure route for infection-control review and prevention.

A puncture-resistant, closable, labeled receptacle used to dispose of needles, lancets, and other sharp items immediately after use, replaced when about three-quarters full.

An engineered sharp with a shield, retracting needle, or similar feature that reduces needlestick risk after collection, required in most settings under bloodborne pathogen regulations.

A documented, unbroken record of who collected, handled, stored, and transported a specimen, used for forensic, legal, or employment testing where identity and integrity must be provable.

Predefined conditions that make a sample unacceptable for testing, such as missing identification, inadequate volume, wrong tube, hemolysis, or delayed delivery beyond stability limits.

Marking containers and transport bags with the required biohazard symbol and text so handlers recognize infectious material and follow appropriate precautions throughout transport.

Confirming identity using at least two independent identifiers, such as full name and date of birth, plus matching the requisition before any collection or procedure.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure after being told its purpose, what to expect, risks, and alternatives, documented according to facility policy before the collection begins.

The order authorizing a test, listing patient identifiers, the requested tests, collection date and time, ordering provider, and any special handling instructions the collector must follow.

A sample drawn after a required period without food or calorie-containing drink, commonly eight to twelve hours, so glucose, lipids, and similar analytes reflect baseline values.

The resting condition of a patient after an overnight fast and without strenuous activity, used as a reference condition when collecting specimens for certain baseline laboratory measurements.

A sample collected at a specified clock time or interval after an event, such as a drug dose or meal, because the analyte's concentration changes predictably with time.

Serial measurement of a drug's blood level to keep it within a therapeutic range, requiring collections timed relative to dosing and documented precisely on the requisition.

The lowest concentration of a drug in blood, typically drawn just before the next dose, used to guide dosing and avoid toxicity for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows.

The highest concentration of a drug in blood after administration, collected at a defined interval after the dose, used with trough values to assess dosing adequacy.

Directions given before collection about fasting, medication holds, activity restrictions, or timing, so the specimen reflects the intended physiologic state and avoids avoidable recollections.

Choosing a suitable vein by palpation, usually in the antecubital area, avoiding areas with scarring, hematoma, intravenous lines, dialysis fistulas, or recent venipuncture.

Tying a constricting band above the puncture site to distend veins, left in place no longer than about one minute because prolonged stasis alters analyte concentrations.

The mandated sequence for filling blood tubes during a single puncture, arranged so additive carryover from one tube does not contaminate the next and results stay accurate.

Transfer of an additive such as EDTA or heparin from one tube into the next through the needle, which can distort coagulation or chemistry results if the draw order is wrong.

Aseptic collection of blood sets, usually two sets from separate sites, into dedicated culture bottles, drawn before antimicrobial therapy and with careful skin antisepsis.

Applying an antimicrobial agent to skin or mucous membranes to reduce resident and transient organisms before a puncture, allowing the required contact time to dry.

Collection of a small blood volume by pricking a fingertip or heel, used when venous access is impractical, with the first drop sometimes wiped away per device instructions.

The sequence for filling microcollection tubes from a skin puncture, generally starting with tubes for blood gases or EDTA and ending with tubes containing other additives.

The penetration setting chosen for a skin puncture device, selected by patient age and site so the incision reaches capillary beds without striking bone or causing unnecessary injury.

The lateral or medial plantar surface of an infant's heel used for capillary blood, avoiding the central area and posterior curve to prevent bone injury and nerve damage.

A rise in concentration of cells and large molecules in the sampled blood caused by prolonged tourniquet time, dehydration, or stasis, which can falsely elevate some analyte results.

Rupture of red blood cells that releases hemoglobin into plasma or serum, often from rough handling, small needles, or forceful syringe draws, and which interferes with many assays.

A tube containing a clot activator and a gel barrier that, after centrifugation, separates serum from cells so the serum can be analyzed or stored without cell contact.

A lavender-stoppered tube containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, which binds calcium to prevent clotting, used for hematology tests such as complete blood counts.

Spinning a specimen at a specified speed and duration to separate components by density, with balance, time, and speed controlled to preserve sample integrity.

The period and conditions under which a sample retains acceptable analyte values, governing how quickly it must be processed, refrigerated, frozen, or protected from light.

The required thermal condition for moving a specimen, such as ambient, refrigerated, frozen, or protected from light, chosen to preserve the analytes being measured.

An uninterrupted series of refrigerated or frozen handling steps from collection through testing, maintained with validated coolers, monitoring, and documented temperature records.

A leak-resistant outer packaging layer that holds primary specimen containers with absorbent material, protecting carriers and the environment if a primary container breaks.