Book excerpt: Geared specifically to short courses in blood collection, this concise full-color text teaches the skills necessary to obtain blood specimens effectively and safely, in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formerly NCCLS) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. The book presents step-by-step procedure instructions and explains why these procedures are important to blood specimen collections. It Could Happen To You case studies discuss actual phlebotomy-related injuries. Tips From the Trenches offer practical phlebotomy pointers. In the Lab describes what happens to blood in the lab and underscores the importance of key collection concepts. Each chapter ends with multiple-choice review questions.