Another consequence of squeezing the puncture site is the introduction of what into the specimen?

• A. Hemolysis
• B. Lipemia
• C. Interstitial fluid introduction
• D. Clot formation

Answer: (C)

Squeezing the puncture site pushes interstitial fluid from the surrounding tissue into the blood specimen. Interstitial fluid is the fluid between cells and, when it enters the sample, it dilutes the blood and alters the concentration of analytes being measured. This contamination can lead to inaccurate test results, which is why proper technique avoids squeezing and milking the site. In contrast, hemolysis is about rupture of red blood cells, lipemia is due to high fat content in the sample, and clot formation relates to coagulation, none of which are direct consequences of mild squeezing at the puncture site.