Certified Clinical Medical Assistant CCMA Practice Test

Which of the following actions should an MA take to verify the quality of venipuncture supplies before beginning a blood draw?

1. Check the expiration date of the needles

2. Inspect the color of the packaging

3. Inspect the integrity of the needles' seal

4. Weigh the supplies

The correct answer is: Inspect the integrity of the needles' seal

Checking the integrity of the needles' seal is crucial for ensuring that the supplies are sterile and safe to use. A compromised seal may indicate contamination or that the needle has been exposed to environmental factors that could lead to infection when introduced into the body. Maintaining a sterile field is essential to prevent complications for the patient during the venipuncture process. While verifying the expiration date of the needles is also important to ensure they haven't expired and are still effective, it does not directly pertain to the immediate quality of the supplies in terms of sterility. Inspecting the color of the packaging provides limited information about the safety or sterility of the contents it holds. Weighing the supplies does not provide relevant information about their operational quality or safety for a blood draw either. Therefore, focusing on the seal's integrity is the most pertinent action to ensure that the venipuncture process can be performed safely.