STEPS TO FOLLOW TO TAKE A SAMPLE OF CAPILLARY BLOOD PROPERLY:
  | Wash your hands and wear gloves to protect both the patient and the person taking the sample from infections, and also to prevent the blood sample from becoming contaminated. |
  | Choose the finger the simple will be taken from. The most suitable fingers are the middle finger or the ring finger of the non-dominant hand. It is important that the patient does not wear a ring on the chosen finger to prevent the circulation from becoming clogged. |
  | The patient's hand should be warm and the patient relaxed. Massage the finger before the puncture to activate blood circulation. The puncture should be performed slightly off center from the central and fleshy part of the fingertip, near the side. |
  | Disinfect and dry the puncture site. |
  | Gently massage the finger to activate blood circulation. |
  | Perform the puncture using a 21G lancet. |
  | Discard the first 2-3 drops of blood with a clean gauze. |
  | Fill the cuvette completely with the third or fourth drop of blood. Incomplete filling or air bubbles produce erroneous results. |
