The History of Phlebotomy
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Posted On :
Jun-21-2011
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Article Word Count :
421
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The history of phlebotomy actually goes back to ancient Egyptian and Greek societies, although the practices of drawing blood in those early times may seem barbaric compared to the practices of modern western medicine. In those early days, the Egyptians and Greeks drew blood to eradicate evils spirits and sicknesses from patients.
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The history of phlebotomy actually goes back to ancient Egyptian and Greek societies, although the practices of drawing blood in those early times may seem barbaric compared to the practices of modern western medicine. In those early days, the Egyptians and Greeks drew blood to eradicate evils spirits and sicknesses from patients. This was a practice that was left to barbers in the 5th century B.C., which is how the red and white striped signs originated, as a nod to the blood and tourniquet. The early bloodletting practices that were performed on U.S. soil in the days of the pilgrims were also pretty barbaric, using spring-loaded lancets to draw pints of blood into unsanitary bowls until the patient fainted. If they didn’t die, they were supposed to be cured.
Fading Fast
Eventually, the bloodletting practices in the United States and around the world began to evolve along with the modern world and the rest of medical technology. As incidents such as George Washington’s death from nine pints of blood that were drained to cure a throat infection increased, people began to suspect that this practice wasn’t so safe or at all effective. Although it would take more than a century after Washington’s death in 1799 for the bloodletting practice to die out, it eventually faded into the recesses of medical history.
Practicing Safe Blood Extraction
Now, medical professionals use sterile equipment and very fine needles to draw blood into safely sealed glass tubes, and it is more often done for testing and diagnoses purposes and not to rid the body of evil spirits and illness. Bloodletting is still occasionally performed, using these sterile modern methods, to treat rare ailments like hemachromatosis and polycythemia. Phlebotomists may also draw blood to store in blood banks for blood transfusions in surgical procedures or for patients that have lost a lot of blood in accidents.
Today, phlebotomy is a practice that is only performed by trained, qualified and certified medical professionals, at least in any civilized society this is the case. Phlebotomists must complete an accredited degree or certificate program and pass a professional certification exam before they can practice this ancient art in a hospital, clinic or private office. Every step of the process is clean, safe and sterile, so patients have nothing to fear when they have to go in to have their blood drawn for a test. The prick might hurt for a second, but it isn’t gonna kill you.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The History of Phlebotomy_64478.aspx
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Author Resource :
PhlebotomySchoolsU.com is complete information portal about phlebotomy career and education programs, offering detailed information about top phlebotomy schools and degree programs. Choose best college in your prefer location and start your path to a rewarding career.
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Keywords :
history of phlebotomy, phlebotomy courses. phlebotomy programs, phlebotomy program,
Category :
Reference and Education
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Reference and Education
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