The Story of Phlebotomy: A Historical Perspective

Authors: Garland E. Pendergraph, PhD, JD, MLS(ASCP)SM, HCLD/CC(ABB) and M. Gail Stotler, BSN, RN
Reviewer: Judi Bennett, BSM, MLS
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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 1 hour(s)

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE Credit Hours

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - General: 1 hour(s)

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This course will take the reader through the journey of phlebotomy from the ancient times to today. The course covers the importance of bloodletting in the ancient world and the middle ages and describes some of the instruments and techniques used. The authors present how modern science and safety awareness has transformed phlebotomy in the last couple of centuries as well as discuss what the future may present for the field.

Objectives

  • Identify the origin and basic elements of the term phlebotomy.
  • Recall the importance of bloodletting in the ancient world.
  • Describe the early bloodletting devices and their importance in the ancient world and the middle ages.
  • Outline the reasons why bloodletting fell out of favor in the modern age.
  • List the major improvements to blood collection devices and procedures that came about in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Course Outline

  • Phlebotomy
    • Introduction
    • Introduction, continued
    • The Ancient World
    • The Ancient World: Four Humors in Relation to the Four Elements
    • The Ancient World: Galen's Influence on Medical Practice
    • The Middle Ages
    • The Middle Ages: Leeching and Cupping
    • The Middle Ages: The Development of Barber-Surgeons
    • The Middle Ages: Differentiation Between Barber-Surgeons
    • The Middle Ages: Debate on How Much Blood to Remove
    • The Middle Ages: Calculating Devices and Calendars for Bloodletting
    • 1600s Through 1800s
    • 1600s Through 1800s, continued
    • 1600s Through 1800s: Bloodletting Falls in Disfavor
    • 1600s Through 1800s: Bloodletting Still Used in Spite of Opposition
    • 1600s Through1800s: Famous Fatal Bleedings
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Objectives – Different Tools
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Tools Venipuncture
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Tools Venipuncture - Luer Locks
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Tools Venipuncture - Evacuated Tube System
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Tools Venipuncture – The Vacuum Tube of Keidel
    • 20th Century to Present: Different Tools Venipuncture – The First Evacuated Blood Collection Tube
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever-Changing Technology – Venipuncture Innovations
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever Changing Technology – Automated Venipuncture
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever-Changing Technology - Capillary Puncture
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever Changing Technology – Examples of Early Lancets
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever-Changing Technology - Capillary Puncture, continued
    • 20th Century to Present: An Ever-Changing Technology - Capillary Puncture, continued
    • Should the Use of Tourniquets Be a Thing of the Past?
    • Blood Culture Contamination: Possibly Near 0% in the Future?
    • Phlebotomy Standards are not Static: CLSI Releases New Editions
    • 21st Century Forward: A Never-Ending Story
  • References
    • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction:  Basic
Intended Audience: Phlebotomists, medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, and laboratory staff. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information:
Garland E. Pendergraph, PhD, JD, MLS(ASCP)SM, HCLD/CC(ABB) received his Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Kentucky, his PhD in medical parasitology/entomology and mycology from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and his law degree with a concentration in health care law from Concord Law School, Purdue University. He also did a Fellowship in Tropical Medicine at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He is the author of a textbook in phlebotomy, a number of scientific articles, plus internet training programs. He is licensed as a laboratory director in the State of Georgia.
M. Gail Stotler, BSN, RN, received her BA in biology and BS in Nursing from St. Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri. Following her BA in biology, she did graduate studies in anatomy at SLU. Ms. Stotler has several publications on phlebotomy. Presently, she is CEO of The Nurses Station, where she is the lead instructor in vein access technologies. She is a licensed RN in the states of Missouri and Illinois.
The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Judi Bennett, BSM, MLS is an Education Developer with MediaLab by Vastian, bringing over 30 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. Before joining MediaLab in 2010, she held key leadership roles, including Clinical Laboratory Manager, Microbiology Supervisor, and Senior Systems Analyst at Gwinnett Health System in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Her extensive knowledge of laboratory operations and a strong commitment to healthcare quality and education fuel her passion for developing engaging and effective learning tools for the next generation of laboratorians.
Course Description: This course will take the reader through the journey of phlebotomy from ancient times to today. The course covers the importance of bloodletting in the ancient world and the Middle Ages and describes some of the instruments and techniques used. The authors present how modern science and safety awareness have transformed phlebotomy in the last couple of centuries and discuss what the future may present for the field.