Which of the following instructions should a phlebotomist provide to a patient who is collecting a urine specimen for culture?

Choice A reason:
The patient's insurance provider name is not typically required on a CBC specimen label. While insurance information is crucial for billing purposes, it does not serve as an identifier for the specimen itself and is therefore not documented on the label.

Choice B reason:
The phlebotomist's full name is not a requirement for a CBC specimen label. The focus of documentation on the label is on patient identification and specimen integrity, not the identity of the healthcare professional collecting the specimen.

Choice C reason:
A phlebotomist's certification number is also not required on a CBC specimen label. While the phlebotomist's credentials are important for their professional status, they are not part of the necessary documentation for a specimen label.

Choice D reason:
The patient's identification number is a critical piece of information that must be documented on a CBC specimen label. This unique identifier links the specimen to the patient's medical record, ensuring that the test results are accurately recorded in the patient's health history.

Choice A reason:
An alcohol-based hand rub is generally used for hand hygiene when the hands are not visibly soiled. It is effective against many types of microbes but is not the best option for hands that are visibly dirty or contaminated with proteinaceous materials, such as blood or body fluids. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water in these situations.

Choice B reason:
Sterile water rinse alone is not sufficient for cleaning hands that are visibly soiled. While sterile water can be used to rinse off debris, it does not have the cleaning or antimicrobial properties necessary to properly decontaminate the hands.

Choice C reason:
Soap and water are the recommended decontamination agents when hands are visibly soiled with blood or body fluids. The physical action of handwashing, combined with the detergent properties of soap, effectively removes soil and transient microorganisms. The CDC guidelines specifically state that hands should be washed with soap and water when they are visibly dirty or contaminated with proteinaceous materia.

Choice D reason:
An alcohol rinse, similar to an alcohol-based hand rub, is not adequate for cleaning visibly soiled hands. Alcohol is a disinfectant that is effective against many germs when used on clean hands but does not remove visible dirt or organic material well.