Four indefensible phlebotomy errors and how to prevent them

The author identifies four errors in phlebotomy that are effectively indefensible in a court of law: patient misidentification, improper angle of insertion, improper vein selection, and ineffective training and evaluation of those performing venipunctures. Strategies to avoid these errors include the implementation and enforcement of specific administrative and procedural policies. A side bar on the "Ten Commandments of Phlebotomy Liability" accompanies this article.