Finger-prick blood sample

A finger-prick (or finger-stick) sample is a sample of whole blood that is obtained from capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in the finger, rather than a vein. The fingertip is pricked with the sharp point of a lancet. This is considered a ‘minimally invasive’ technique, and most rapid tests use finger-prick samples.

Warming the hand with a warm, moist towel or warm water first will increase the blood flow. Because the finger has many nerves, a finger-prick is not necessarily painless, but it can seem less intimidating than venepuncture with a needle.