In one sentence
Kapillarblut (capillary blood) is blood taken from the small vessels under the skin, usually at the fingertip or the upper arm, in a small volume. It allows a customer to collect a sample without a trained phlebotomist.
Kapillarblut (capillary blood) comes from the small vessels under the skin rather than from a vein, so a customer can collect it at home with a lancet or a small applicator device. The volume is much smaller than a venous tube holds, which is the reason the parameter list from this method is shorter.
For a buyer this is the method that makes at-home testing possible, but it is also the method that fails most often. The volume can be too low, the sample can clot, and the material can be damaged when a finger is squeezed too hard, so the instructions and the device matter as much as the laboratory does.
Four questions decide whether a capillary offer is workable for you.
- Which parameters does the supplier validate for Kapillarblut, and which ones still need a vein?
- Which collection device is used, and how much blood does the customer have to collect?
- What happens when the collected volume is too low for the ordered panel?
- Are the reference ranges stated for this method, because they can differ from venous ranges?
In this glossary, Venenblut explains what a vein still gives you that a finger cannot, Tasso+ describes one device that collects Kapillarblut from the upper arm, and Referenzbereich covers the ranges a laboratory uses to read a result.
This glossary entry is general information, not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat or rule out any condition. Discuss your own results with a clinician who knows your history.
