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Phlebotomy Terminology

Below is a list of the most commonly used phlebotomy terminology and their definitions in alphabetical order.

And, while it's a great reference guide for students and medical professionals alike, it's a lot more than just that!

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Memorizing terms can be tedious, but important, so we've ditched the old flash cards and created a dynamic study tool you can take anywhere!

Not only is this a great resource for students, it also makes an effective reference for those working in the professional field.

Plus, you can access our Glossary of terms anywhere - on a computer, on your mobile phone or download it and access it offline!

So, be sure to bookmark this page and use this as a reference or a study guide anytime, anywhere!

*Tip: Access our phlebotomy terms list list offline or print it by downloading the pdf version below.

How To Use As A Practice Test

Click the "Show/Hide All" button to hide the phlebotomy term definitions on the right. Next, go down the list and recite each meaning, just as you would with old fashioned flash cards. To check your answer, simply click on the terms respective definition (the grayed out box to the right of the abbr.) and the answer will appear.

Term	Meaning Show/Hide All
Absorb	To suck up or take in.
Acute	Rapid onset or short course in reference to disease.
Adsorb	To attract and gather material on the surface.
Aerobic	Requiring molecular oxygen to grow.
Airborne Precautions	Guidelines or rules recommended by the CDC for reducing the risk of airborne transmission of infections.
Albumin	Main protein in human blood.
Allergen	An antigenic substance capable of producing an immediate-type hypersensitivity (an allergy).
Anaerobic	Living or occurring in the absence of molecular oxygen.
Anaphylaxis	A serious allergic reaction that can be life threatening.
Anemia	A condition that causes a decrease in the amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood.
Anesthetic	A drug that causes a loss of sensation or unconsciousness.
Antecubital fossa	The part of the arm at the bend of the elbow.
Anterior	Directed toward the front or in front of.
Antibody	A specialized immune protein produced because of the introduction of an antigen into the body that possesses the remarkable ability to combine with the very antigen that triggered its production.
Anticoagulant	A substance that prevents blood from clotting.
Antigen	A substance that stimulates the immune system to create antibodies.
Antihemophilic factor	A protein that participates in the clotting of blood. Also knows as Factor VIII.
Anti-platelet agents	Medications which reduce the tendency of platelets in the blood to clot or clump.
Antiseptic	A substance that discourages the growth of microorganisms.
Apheresis	A process in which blood is temporarily withdrawn from a donor, one or more components are removed (plasma, etc), and the rest of the blood is reinfused back into the donor.
Arteriole	A small branch of an artery that leads to a capillary.
Artery	Blood vessel carrying oxygen-ruch blood away from the heart.
Aseptic	Absent or free from microorganisms.
Aspirate	Draw a substance in with suction.
Autohemolysis	Hemolysis of red blood cells by a persons own serum.
Bacteremia	The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.
Basilic vein	Large vein on the inner side of the biceps that is usually chosen for blood drawings.
Bleeding-time	A test that measures the time it takes for small blood vessels to close and the bleeding to stop.
Blind stick	The term given to performing a blood draw with no visible or palpable vein.
Blood	The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins that carries oxygen to and carbon dioxide from the tissue of the body.
Blood-borne pathogens	Microorganisms present in human blood which cause disease.
Blood cell	Any of the cells found circulating through the blood. The main three are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Blood clot	A semi-solid mass of blood formed by platelets.
Blood count	An evaluation of the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in blood.
Blood culture	A test used to detect infections in the blood.
Blood film	A small sample of blood on a microscope slide. Also known as a blood smear.
Blood group	One of the groups that persons blood can be classified as (A, B, AB, O).
Blood letting	The process of removing blood for therapeutic reasons.
Blood vessel	The tube or vessel that carries blood through the body. Also known as an artery, vein or capillary.
Bruise	An injury of the soft tissue that results in breakage of the local capillaries and the leakage of red blood cells.
Butterfly	A short needle with plastic tabs or wings on both sides which aid in stabilizing the needle during insertion.
Cannula	A thin tube used for insertion into a vein or body cavity.
Capillary	A small blood vessel connecting the arteriole with the venule.
Catheter	A thin and flexible tube that is inserted into a cavity of the body to withdraw or inject fluid
Central venous catheter	A catheter that is inserted into a vein to end up in the chest portion of the vena cava or the right atrium of the heart.
Cephalic vein	A large vein in the arm that empties into the axillary vein, also known as the antecubital vein.
Circulatory System	The system that moves blood through the body.
Coagulate	The process when blood turns to a solid or semisolid state, creating a clot.
Collateral circulation	An alternate path for blood developed through enlargement of secondary vessels after the main path is blocked.
Complete blood count (CBC)	A blood test performed to evaluate your overall health and detect certain diseases.
Contact Precautions	Guidelines recommended by the CDC for reducing the risk of transmission of epidemiologically important microorganisms by direct skin-to-skin or indirect contact.
Contagious	Ability to be spread from human to human.
Contamination	Unwanted pollution of a substance by another substance.
Contusion	A bruise or in the skin where blood capillaries have been ruptured.
Cytoplasm	The liquid inside the cell membrane.
Defibrinated blood	Blood that has been deprived of fibrin.
Dialysis	The process of removing waste from the blood because the kidney's aren't able to.
Differential	A blood cell count that assesses the ratio of white blood cells.
Ecchymosis	The discoloration of the skin where a contusion occurs.
Edema	The swelling caused by excess fluid accumulation in tissue.
Embolus	The mass of clotted blood that obstructs a blood vessel.
EMLA cream	Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics cream mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine that is often used locally on children for blood draws, etc.
Endothelium	The layer of cells lining the cavities of the heart and of the blood and lymph vessels.
Epidermis	The outermost layer of the skin.
Epithelium	The layer of cells covering the free and open surfaces of the body including the skin and mucous membranes.
Erythrocyte	A red blood cell.
Factor VIII	A factor in the clotting of blood.
Fasting	To not eat. Common before a phlebotomy procedure is performed.
Fibrin	A protein that is necessary for blood to clot. Created by the action of fibrinogen and thrombin.
Fistula	An abnormal connection from a vein to an artery to change the flow of blood.
Gauge	A measurement used for the diameter of a needle. The larger the needle diameter, the smaller the gauge.
Glucose	The sugar in blood that our body makes from food.
Hematocrit	The proportion of the total red blood cells to the total blood volume.
Hematoma	Tissue that is filled with blood caused by a break in the wall of a blood vessel.
Hemoconcentration	Decrease in the volume of plasma in blood compared to the number of red blood cells.
Hemodialysis	Procedure to remove waste products from blood and to restore any electrolyte imbalances.
Hemoglobin	The oxygen carrying protein of red blood cells.
Hemolysis	The freeing of hemoglobin from within the red blood cells into the blood plasma.
Hemostasis	To stop bleeding by vasoconstriction and coagulation or by a surgical process.
Heparin	A complex organic acid that is found in lung and liver tissue that prevents blood clotting,
Hepatitis	Inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis A	Inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus.
Hepatitis B	An infectious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus.
Hepatitis C	An infection caused by the Hepatitis virus that attacks the liver leading to inflammation.
Hyperglycemia	Abnormally high in blood sugar.
Hypodermic needle	A hollow needle that attaches to a medical syringe to inject or withdrawal fluids from the body.
Hypoglycemia	Abnormally low sugar level in the blood.
Lymph	A clear fluid found in the lymphatic vessels that is collected from body tissue and returned to the blood.
Lymphedema	A type of tissue swelling and fluid retention which occurs in lymphatic tissue caused by a compromised lymphatic system.
Medial cubital vein	The forearm vein most commonly used for venipuncture because it is generally the largest and best-anchored vein
Monocyte	A white blood cell that has a single nucleus and very fine granulation in the cytoplasm. Makes up 3 to 8% of the white blood cells in humans.
Nosocomial infection	A hospital acquired infection.
Order of Draw	The order in which blood samples should be drawn to minimize interference or contamination in testing caused by carryover of additives in tubes.
Palpate	To feel by the hand. For example, to find the size and direction of a vein.
Pathogen	An agent or microorganism that casuses disease.
Peripheral blood	Blood that is obtained from the outer surface of the body.
Phlebitis	A condition resulting in inflammation of a vein.
Phlebotomist	One who specializes in phlebotomy.
Phlebotomy	The practice of opening a vein for drawing or letting blood as a therapeutic or diagnostic procedure.
Plasma	The fluid or liquid portion of the blood.
Platelet	A disc-shaped element found in blood that aids in clotting.
Plateletpheresis	The process where platelets are removed from blood with the remaining elements being returned to the donor.
Polymorphonuclear	A white blood cell with a nucleus that is so divided it looks like it is more than.
Povidone-iodine	A solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone and iodine used as a topical antibacterial agent.
Red blood cell (RBC)	The blood cells that contain hemoglobin which allows them to carry oxygen.
Sclerosis	The hardening of a damaged vein wall.
Serum	The clear fluid that separates from blood when it clots.
Syncope	Fainting or a temporary loss of consciousness.
Thrombocyte	A platelet. Important for blood clotting.
Thrombocytopenia	A condition that decreases the number of blood platelets.
Thrombosis	The presence or formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a vessel.
Thrombus	A blood clot in the wall of a blood vessel.
Tourniquet	A band wrapped tightly around the arm to stop the flow of blood to a distal part.
Vascular	Relating to or composed of blood vessels.
Vasoconstriction	Narrowing of the blood vessels that results from contraction of the muscular walls of the vessels.
Vein	A tube in the body that carries blood to the heart.
Venesection	Incision of a vein for the purpose of collecting blood.
Venipuncture	The puncture of a vein.
Venous	Relating to the veins.
Venule	Small blood vessels that merge with veins.
White blood cell	A colorless or white cell in blood that has a nucleus and cytoplasm.
Whole blood	Blood where none of the elements (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) have been removed.
White blood cell count	The number of white blood cells found in the blood.

Important: This phlebotomy terminology list highlights some of the most common terms used in the phlebotomy field. It is by no means meant to include every phlebotomy related term ever used. If it is a missing a term that you would like added please feel free to contact us.

Thanks to Medicinenet.com and Medical Dictionary for helping provide the definitions.

Reviewed on July 30, 2015