ROCHESTER MAYO CONFERENCE APRIL 23 & 24 on PHLEBOTOMY

Comment: in a College American Path. publication; 17% of blood has to be discarded because of poor collection technique. Ideally blood should be taken by a phlebotomist.. Important clinical trick is to be aware of raised Potassium through haemolysis-can mask lethal K. deficiency.)

Breakout Sessions
The following 6 breakout sessions will be offered during the conference. Please note that tours are available during breakout session times, so you will need to select one or the other to attend during the allotted times. You will have the opportunity to choose the sessions you would like to attend when you complete the online registration form.

1. The Stressful, the Combative and the Days You Wished You Would Have Just Stayed Home
   In this session, we will discuss ways to deal with overall stressful patient situations. We will specifically identify ways for you to deal with stress before, during and after a stressful situation. We will also discuss what you should be doing for your own safety and when it’s time to get help.
2. Reducing Emergency Department Redraws
   IV start blood collections are prone to increased rates of hemolysis and may contribute to an increased redraw rate in the emergency department (ED). In this session, we will address factors that contribute to hemolysis rates and redraws, discuss the pros and cons for eliminating the practice of IV start blood collections and explain best practice techniques used to minimize potential redraws.
   
3. Improving Pediatric Specimen Quality
   During this breakout session, we will discuss the types of quality measures used in pediatric phlebotomy and how they are applied to improve specimen quality.  Discussion will include the phlebotomist’s role to ensure quality prior, during and after sample collection.
   
4. Butterflies: Does Usage Match the Need?
   It is well recognized that butterfly collection devices are more expensive and have a higher risk of specimen rejection (especially if used incorrectly), when compared to straight-needle devices.  However, there are well recognized reasons when butterfly use is appropriate.  This session investigates the use of butterfly collection devices in both outpatient and inpatient practices.  Appropriate use, equipment cost analysis, and specimen rejection rates will be reviewed.
   
5. Overview of Physical Ergonomic and Cognitive Human Factors Issues in Phlebotomy Practice
   The first part of this presentation will provide an overview of physical ergonomics, ergonomic risk factors and how they contribute to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Attention will be given to the specific ergonomic risk factors observed in both outpatient and inpatient phlebotomy practice. Recommendations will be provided to reduce the risk of these variables. The second portion of the presentation will focus on the cognitive human factors issues experienced by phlebotomists. Human factors is the study of our capabilities and limitations, what humans are good at and what they are bad at in terms of how we think, how we act, and what we use when we do things. It takes those principles and applies them to the design of tools, systems, tasks, jobs and environment in order to optimize safety, effectiveness and comfort for the human. The goal is to reduce the incidence of human errors in phlebotomy practice.
   
6. Capillary Lipid Screening: Challenges and Opportunities
   This presentation will cover the basics of lipid testing and interpretation of results. Specimen collection techniques, such as capillary sampling, could be advantageous for adherence to universal pediatric lipid screening guidelines. However, implementation of capillary whole blood lipid testing protocols can complicate result interpretation.