Phlebotomy courses teach students how to safely draw and store blood. Places like Utah have multiple phlebotomy schools and clinics, but nobody ever seems to wonder what happens to the blood after it?s been drawn.

Admittedly, most blood is quickly transfused into victims of accidents or surgery patients. But phlebotomy courses in Utah teach students how to do much more. Blood drawn by phlebotomists can be used for a genetic screening intended to dramatically lower the incidence of genetic disease.

iGenomix, a Spanish biotech company, has developed a blood test that indicates whether couples are compatible to reproduce. Experts estimate that nearly 8 percent of the world?s population is incompatible to reproduce with each other. That is to say, both partners carry faulty DNA that would likely result in a baby being born with birth defects.

It has been reported that the compatibility test screens for more than 4,500 mutations and can highlight danger for 600 genetic diseases. Those aren?t the only large numbers associated with the test. It costs upwards of $2,000 USD. The genetic screening test also means that women could learn about the future health of their baby as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

Reaction to the test has been very mixed. Some believe that it smacks of eugenics (the science of improving a human population by controlling reproduction in order to increase desirable human characteristics), while others see it as a means of preventing the pain and dangers of disease. Some might even compare this type of genetic screening with Andrew Niccol?s dystopian Gattaca.

?I have had experience of people who have had their test and their results have been good, so they?ve got peace of mind,? says Dr. Jenny Dobbs, a fertility consultant at one of the clinics currently offering the test.

Birth defects, which occur in nearly one in 20 pregnancies, range in severity from minor abnormalities to more extreme genetic disorders, and even mental retardation. The genetic screening test would enable future parents to decide whether to proceed with a pregnancy if conditions such as Huntington?s disease, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, or cystic fibrosis  are detected.

?The options for couples who do find out they could be affected are that they do nothing, and risk having a child that has a disease,? she continues. ?The other options are not to have a child, not to have a family, to adopt or to have IVF treatment, where they can screen the embryos and only implant a healthy embryo in the womb.?

It is worthy to note that the decision to abort a fetus isn?t the only option available to parents. These test results could possibly help mitigate the effects of some genetic disorders. For example, some symptoms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, such as genital ambiguity, can be deterred if the mother is given a certain steroid before nine weeks of pregnancy. Thalassemia blood disorders can also be treated with blood transfusions administered soon after birth. Other disorders may be treatable in utero with gene treatments. The test development was originally intended for couples with family histories of genetic disorders, but proponents hope that the test can be incorporated universally.

Regardless of controversy, the test is a great victory for science. The study of medicine and phlebotomy will only become more thorough as time goes on.

The compatibility test has been a lightning rod for controversy, but can provide many potential parents with valuable peace of mind.

Blood tests produce samples that can be used for a number of different tests, from diagnosing diseases to monitoring cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Blood tests are used for so many different purposes that for medical professionals around the country, phlebotomy is one of the first things learned in introductory courses.

The following are the most common types of blood tests performed by hospitals across the nation.

1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A routine CBC test provides a broad range of diagnostic information, with the ability to detect anemia, infections, immune system disorders, clotting problems and blood cancers.

2. Blood Glucose Test

Persons with diabetes need to check blood glucose levels routinely in order to keep blood sugar levels from getting too high. While experts trained through phlebotomy courses can administer blood glucose tests, at-home test kits present a convenient alternative.

3. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

This test measures the density of red blood cells. The ESR test is used in diagnosing inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, endocarditis, Crohn?s disease, and polymyalgia rheumatica.

4. Blood Cholesterol Test

A blood cholesterol test is recommended to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease for all persons over 40. A blood cholesterol test is often administered by a nurse practitioner trained in phlebotomy courses, and only requires a pinprick.

5. Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test

An ELISA test checks for specific antibodies produced by an infection or allergy, such as HIV or a peanut allergy.

6. Liver Function Tests

When the liver is damaged, it releases specific enzymes into the blood stream, and releases fewer proteins. Liver function tests can diagnose liver conditions such as alcohol liver disease, hepatitis, and cirrhosis.

7. Thyroid Function Tests

An overactive or under-active thyroid is typically diagnosed via blood tests examining the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

8. Testosterone Test

Professional athletes nationwide are often tested for high testosterone levels, a telltale sign of steroid abuse. Abnormal levels of testosterone can have adverse effects on fertility, libido and muscle mass.

You would be surprised how many people in the United States live with blood disorders.

All around the country, those in phlebotomy schools are constantly asking people to participate in blood drives because the need for healthy blood has never been more prominent.

Here is a list of eight common blood disorders that require good blood donations.

1. Anemia

People who suffer from anemia have a really low number of blood cells. Even though mild anemia usually has no symptoms, severe anemia can cause people to be fatigued, have pale skin and constantly experience shortness of breath.

2. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

According to people in phlebotomy schools, individuals with this condition have an overactive immune system that destroys their red blood cells, which can cause anemia.

3. Sickle Cell Anemia

Individuals with this condition experience stiff and sticky red blood cells. This causes blockage to the blood flow, and intense pain and even organ damage can occur.

4. Polycythemia Vera

In this condition, the body produces too many blood cells. The cause behind this is unknown, but the extra amount of red blood cells typically creates no problems.

5. Malaria

Even though this condition is not very common in the United States, it is prominent in places like Africa. Malaria is caused by mosquitoes, which transmit a parasite into the blood of the person they bite.

6. Lymphoma

This form of blood cancer develops in the lymph-system. The white blood cells become malignant and start multiplying abnormally.

7. Sepsis

This is when an infection in the body spreads into the blood. It can cause fevers, respiratory failure, and low blood pressure.

8. Hemophilia

Those in phlebotomy schools around the world will say that this is probably one of the most common disorders out there. The bodies of people with this disorder have a hard time making blood clots when bleeding due to a genetic deficiency of certain proteins.

If you or a loved one has recently graduated from a phlebotomy training school, it?s time to party. Throwing a phlebotomy-themed celebration is the perfect way to commemorate such a significant achievement.

Themed parties are all the rage, but you?d probably be hard-pressed to find phlebotomy-themed party supplies at your local store. Phlebotomy schools are fully stocked with the tools required to draw blood, but your craft station probably isn?t.

No fear, most of the following decorating ideas can be created with common household items. Any required medical supplies, such as scrubs and hospital bracelets, can be found fairly cheaply online.

Fake Blood Drawing Kit

Set the proper mood with fake blood drawing kits at each place setting. Mirror a kit you would find in phlebotomy schools by filling a tray with a hospital band with the guest?s name written on it, a small paper cup filled with pill-shaped candies, a plastic specimen cup and a large syringe filled with something sweet and creamy, like Nutella.

Test Tube Vases

Test tubes are perfect vases for single blood-red roses and larger beakers can hold full arrangements to liven up the space.

?Cotton? Sterilizing Pads

Further, decorate the space with jars of cotton sterilizing pads. Place white cotton candy loosely pulled apart in labeled jars.

Candy Plasma

While you might not be able to find this particular candy at your local candy store, vials of candy plasma can be purchased online. Plasma has never looked so yummy.

Blood Punch

Taste of Home has the perfect recipe for a phlebotomy-themed party: Blood Orange Punch. The drink is a mix of cranberry juice, lemon juice, sugar, and blood orange Italian soda.

Ketchup Syringes

If you?re serving hot dogs, burgers or anything that may require ketchup, continue the theme by filling syringes with ketchup. Place the syringes in a bowl of ketchup, labeled with blood type for easy refills, of course.

Blood Cell Desert

Create red blood cell cupcakes for dessert by adding red food coloring to white cupcake mix. Top the cupcakes with red icing and red M&M?s or Red Hots to complete the look.

Pill Caddy

Treat your guests to a fun party favor that they can take home. A days-of-the-week pill caddy filled with seven different candies is a great favor idea.

These fun phlebotomy-themed party ideas are sure to make your party a success?you?ll be the envy of graduates from phlebotomy schools from California to the Big Apple.

Imagine someone at the doctor?s office. After a brief consultation about symptoms and severity, the doctor says they will need to run some blood tests to help perform the correct diagnosis. A phlebotomist or someone else that has taken phlebotomy courses will draw the blood sample (or samples).

Then what?

While blood testing may seem so hush-hush since so little of it is visible to patients, the reality is that all time in blood testing is time well spent. After the sample is collected and properly labeled for the patient, it is sent to the lab?in-house or outsourced to a lab?so that laboratory technicians can read the results.

There are quite a few different tests to be performed on each sample of blood. While some are tests used for large scale blood donation, other tests are used by doctors and physicians to determine which illness is plaguing their patients.

With chemistry tests, the blood is tested for chemicals that indicate disease. It can be a test to monitor blood sugar for diabetes or tests to indicate if a person is using illegal drugs.

Hematology has more to do with the blood itself, not what is found along with it. Phlebotomy courses focus more on these tests since most of those who go on to graduate will study things like cell count and protein levels of plasma.

Both immunology and molecular diagnostics tests are lumped together here. These tests are more complex and are often used to see if the immune system is functioning properly. Phlebotomy courses only graze the surface of these tests, as the tests cover things like DNA and RNA analysis to determine disease risk, as well as tests to uncover autoimmune diseases.

Virology tests look at the possibility of viral infection. Virology blood tests look at how the immune system of the patient reacted to the virus. Tests include those used for flu viruses and HIV.

Transfusion services are another test group that those who have taken phlebotomy courses are more likely to cover. They look at blood types and distribute the blood to those who need it after tests are performed to determine if the blood is safe and ready for use.

Although it may seem like a long and arduous process, all of this is usually done in a period of 24-48 hours, keeping both patient and doctor in the know.