CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE, cilt.47, sa.6, ss.769-776, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: Venous blood sampling is usually performed using a tourniquet to help locate and define peripheral veins to achieve successful and safe venipuncture. Despite widespread usage of tourniquets for venipuncture by medical and laboratory staff, very few are aware of the effects of tourniquet application on laboratory parameters. In addition, definitive guidelines regarding when and how to use a tourniquet for blood sampling are lacking. The aim of the present study was to define the optimal sampling time after tourniquet removal to avoid adverse impact on laboratory analytes.