Capillary sample
Alternate Names : Blood sample - capillary, Fingerstick, Heelstick
Risks
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
- Scarring (occurs when there have been multiple punctures in the same area)
- Calcified nodules (sometimes occurs in infants, but usually disappear by 30 months of age)
- Damage to blood cells from this method of collection can sometimes cause inaccurate test results (and the need to repeat the test with blood drawn from a vein)
Special Considerations
Capillary blood sampling is very useful when very small amounts of blood are needed or when blood is very difficult to obtain, such as in infants. Many times, however, when a larger sample is needed, the blood must be obtained from a vein.
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