Phlebotomist blood test

[Summersunx]

Hi guys I had my bloods taken this morning at a phlebotomist centre. She did great taking my blood only issue is when she had finsiehd and had placed a cotton wool on the area she then removed the cotton wool and put the fabric torniquet over the area she had just taken blood from then removed it to apply a plaster. I'm now overthinking things thinking 1 this has never happened in hospitals they usually get you to apply the pressure and 2 if that has been used on others before me the same way is their risk of blood being on torniquet and infection spreading? Or am I being over the top now?

to be honest it’s not something I would even think about

Are you sure it wasn't a single use torniquet? I haven't seen a material tourniquet used in about 15yrs- they should be using single use ones now for this very reason! The risk is extremely low to contract anything with the cotton ball/plaster on there though, but I agree, they shouldn't be that.

Definatley a fabric one not a rubber one they use in hospitals and there was no cotton wool on the area or plaster at the time she placed the torniquet back on the area she had just taken blood from really strange.

Should I contact the place or am I being over the top here? 😐😐😐

Apologies, I misread and thought she'd put the tourniquet on top of the plaster. Putting it directly over where the blood came out is appalling and very concerning in terms of basic hygiene! I would absolutely write a letter to the manager of the ward/centre about your concerns.

Was it a private clinic? I had thought single use torniquets we brought in many years ago. I don't know if its law, but she certainly shouldn't be using one, let alone using it to mop up everyones blood! 😱

We do still use fabric tourniquets.
We never do what she did though! That is surely a worse infection control issue than using a fabric one in general, we just ask the patient to stick their finger on the swab whilst we get the tape.

Thats what I'm concerned about plus I'm pregnant so my anxiety is through the roof I did email the clinic and they said she wouldn't put it on without a cotton wool piece on first i dont recall a cotton wool on the area when she did this I just don't know where to go from here now really hepatitus and stuff like this don't show up for months in blood so I wouldn't know if I've put us both at risk anyway till few months time

The receptionist also added that the torniquet also get cleaned after every visit and everything is sanitised