phlebotomy

Term: phlebotomy
Literally meaning: “incision in a vein”
Origin: Anc Greek
φλύω/phleo(=fill, flood, flourish)
+τέμνω/temno(=cut) > τομή/tome(=section, trunk, stalk)
Coined/History
The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used blood extraction to rid the body of evil spirits. Phlebotomy is a medical term that came to be in the 20th century, as the process of the withdrawal of an amount of blood for medical testing. Prior to this, it was a widely used therapeutic method known plainly as "bloodletting". Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, "first mentioned bloodletting in his works, proclaiming that a woman's menses is a means of bleeding out certain toxins that they have more of than men. However, it was his student Galen that was the first among civilized societies to perform bloodletting in practice. Bleeding could be done at many points of the body, chiefly the elbows and knees. In 1799, George Washington, died from a throat infection after doctors drained nine pints of blood. Phlebotomy  is now largely used for treatment of polycythaemia, haemochromatosis, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, and for purposes of blood donation or salvage (Sourse(review): Liakat Ali Parapia, History of bloodletting by phlebotomy, BJH, 143, 490-495, 2008)
Definition
Phlebotomy is the outpatient procedure of the withdrawal of an amount of blood while at the same time a predetermined amount of intravenous fluid is administered (volume replacement) Plasmapheresis is of the withdrawal of an amount of blood in order to obtain plasma with subsequent  reinfusion into the donor oof his/her own red blood cells

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