Recommendation for collection of skin puncture blood from children, with special reference to production of reference values.

Reliable reference values need to be collected under standardized conditions. In order to enable comparison of values observed on patients with reference values, it is also desirable to use the same standardized conditions on patients. The present recommendation was produced as a joint effort of representatives of the clinical chemists and paediatricians of Scandinavia and describes the following details. Preparation of the child before specimen collection (food intake, time of day, physical activity, posture, environment), preparation of skin puncture site (warming, disinfection, ointment), instruments for blood collection (lancet, blood collection vessel), site of puncture (plantar surface of foot, finger, ear lobe), collection of emerging blood and handling and storage of the specimen.