American Medical Technologist (AMT) Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Resource to Guarantee Exam Success!

The recommended duration for leaving a tourniquet on a patient's arm during venipuncture is up to one minute. This time frame is important for several reasons. Firstly, keeping the tourniquet on for too long can lead to increased discomfort for the patient and may also cause physiological changes, such as hemoconcentration, which can falsely elevate certain blood test results. If the tourniquet is applied for more than a minute, it may lead to the pooling of blood and can affect the accuracy of tests by causing changes in the plasma and cellular components of the blood.

Leaving a tourniquet on for a brief period allows for adequate visualization and palpation of the veins for successful venipuncture without compromising the integrity of the sample or causing unnecessary patient discomfort. Therefore, adhering to a one-minute duration is a crucial practice in phlebotomy to ensure both patient comfort and accurate test results.