[Collecting blood: its practice, problems, and side effects]

Clinical laboratory technologists started blood collecting in, hospitals since the 1971 legislation. In our hospital, the number of outpatients requiring blood collection has more than tripled over the last 15 years. In spite of efforts to draw blood efficiently, various problems occur, including shortage of staff to draw blood, problems of vacuum blood collection and the blood collection computer system. Blood drawing is a safe and short procedure and rarely causes major problems or side effects; the amount of blood drawn is usually small, compared with blood donation or self-blood collection for transfusion. However, when side effects do occur, it is necessary to deal with them quickly. It is important for staff to learn fundamental skills of blood drawing and to always keep in mind that patient safety is the most important issue.