Available sites vary with age:
(1) foot (heel, sides of plantar surface, toes)
(2) fingers
(3) ear lobe
Patients who may be candidates for blood collection from a skin puncture:
(1) neonates and infants
(2) elderly patients with lax or fragile skin (tend to develop a hematoma after venipuncture)
(3) patients with a coagulopathy
(4) patients who are morbidly obese
(5) patients for whom there is a need to conserve blood (especially if blood is not available)
(6) patients with a lack of veins for venipuncture
(7) patients with severe burns
Requirements:
(1) people trained in the technique
(2) appropriate specimen collection containers
(3) methods that can use small sample volumes
(4) available skin sites that can be used
