Overview
A capillary sample of blood is obtained by pricking the skin's surface to obtain a drop or several drops of blood for laboratory testing. The usual location of capillary blood sampling is the skin of the finger or heel.
Review Date 5/24/2021
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.