infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
multiple punctures to locate veins
Special considerations:
The reticulocyte count may be increased during pregnancy.
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Review Date: 2/1/2005
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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