the cotton balls should not have been used after being on the arm of the chairgranted the odds of them transferring anything are pretty small. cotton balls in and of themselves are not sterile. But its always better to be safe than sorryThe gloves they use aren't sterile either; the gloves and the cotton ball (got to have something to press down over the puncture) are mainly to protect the nurse/phlebotomist from coming in contact with the patient's blood. The chances of the patient getting an infection, with or without the cotton ball and bandaid, are practically nil. Blood is coming OUT of the puncture site; it's a self-cleaning wound. They put the bandaid on to keep the blood from making a mess on your clothes. funny u posted this today because I just came back from haveing blood drawn at the hospital, I also had it done yesterday at a lab. (getting ready for surgery) and both places layed the graze and the vials down on the board, where you put your arm. (they have one on each side) I didn't think anything about it, I think this is what they alway do. I have seen a tray or a countertop where they lay it sometimes, but that wouldn't be any cleaner, because they lay everything on them. I'm not going to worry about it after 27 years of getting blood drawn, I'm still here.....On the bright side at least they wasn't so drank or drugged, that they couldn't get the needle in, That did happen to me years ago and I was too dumb to know I could run.
snowowl, when that happen she was on drugs, they where watching her and waited for her to get done with me and then send her home. She kept dropping things and fell into a tray and on me. someone else come and took my blood after about 5 mins of her poking me....LOL. if that happen today I would not let her get close to me. My grandaugther has the wondering eye (lazy eye) but she can see good. you wouldn't know it looking at her.