White Blood Cells, Red Blood Cells, and Platelets (Nursing)

00:01 Okay, so, first, let's start with the white blood cells.

00:04 We're going to look at some general information and the role of the cell.

00:07 You already know that the white cells fight infection, right? But it's when attacking bacteria, viruses, and germs invade your body, these are the cells that respond.

00:18 They live about 13-20 days, so just short of 2 -- about 2-3 weeks, and they're destroyed in the lymphatic system.

00:26 Okay. So the white cells, they're the ones that respond when our body is attacked, and they live about 13-20 days, and they're destroyed in the lymphatic system.

00:36 Now, the red blood cells -- remember, they're the ones that carry the protein hemoglobin, that's what binds to oxygen.

00:42 So, the job of the red blood cells is to carry oxygen to the tissues and CO2 to the lungs to be exhaled.

00:49 So they're just transporters.

00:51 That's what's floating around in your bloodstream that goes to your lungs, picks up the oxygen, dumps off the CO2, delivers oxygen to your tissues, picks up the CO2, brings it back to the lungs.

01:01 Repeat, repeat, repeat, right? Now, they are made in the bone marrow and they last about 120 days.

01:07 Okay, anytime you get this much information in something, look at the things that are the same or are different.

01:13 White blood cells -- make yourself a note -- they fight off attack.

01:17 Red blood cells carry oxygen.

01:20 White blood cells live 13-20 days.

01:23 Red blood cells live 120 days.

01:26 Now, platelets are about 20% of the diameter of a red blood cell.

01:31 That is amazing to me and they are super tiny.

01:35 Their principal function is to prevent bleeding.

01:38 Okay, so the job of a platelet is to clump together to make a clot, and to kind of put a plug in the hole where your body is leaking blood.

01:46 They live about 8-9 days.

01:48 So let's look at lifespan.

01:50 Who has the shortest lifespan? Right. Platelets, 8-9 days.

01:55 Who has the longest lifespan? Right, red blood cells.

02:00 And then we've got the white blood cells in between.

02:03 So you might make yourself a quick note. Number them 1, 2, and 3 as far who has the shortest to the longest in your notes to help you remember that point before we move on.

02:15 Okay, now, what color tube should we use for a CBC? Now, you may be in an area where you're responsible for drawing the lab work, or you may have a phlebotomist come from lab and draw the lab work for you.

02:25 But these are all the options that you can use to draw blood.

02:30 Okay, so what's your guess? Maybe, you know.

02:32 Maybe you're just going to pick a color, but pick one before we move on.

02:37 Okay, did you get it? Right. It's the purple top tube.

02:41 So that's the color tube we should use for a CBC.

02:44 The reason these tubes all have different colors is that they have different additives and things in them that help the lab perform the test.

02:50 So it's really important that you put the blood sample in the correct color tube.

02:56 Now, I always get asked, "Can you draw blood above an IV site for a lab test?" Well, it's a great question, but "no" is the best answer if it can be avoided.

03:06 Don't use an arm with an IV if you can possibly avoid doing that, because the IV may affect the lab results depending on what's in the IV, how much fluid, etc.

03:16 So if you're asking if you can draw blood above an IV site, try not to if you can avoid it.

03:22 Try using an arm that doesn't have an IV.

03:25 But if you don't have any other choice, then try and draw it from below the IV site.

03:30 So, if your IV is up here in the antecubital, try and draw your blood from below that site.