What is a consequence of leaving a tourniquet on for more than one minute?

Leaving a tourniquet on for more than one minute results in hemoconcentration, which is an increase in the concentration of blood components due to the reduction of plasma volume. When the tourniquet is applied, it occludes venous flow but not arterial flow. This prolonged application leads to blood pooling in the veins, causing the cells and other components in the blood to become concentrated as the plasma volume decreases.

Hemoconcentration can influence test results by artificially elevating levels of certain substances like proteins, electrolytes, and other analytes in the serum. This is particularly important in a phlebotomy context, as it can lead to misleading lab results if not taken into consideration.

In terms of the other answer choices, while increased blood pressure could technically occur initially due to the constriction of the blood vessels, it is not a direct consequence of prolonged tourniquet application like hemoconcentration. Decreased blood flow is a result of the tourniquet being applied in the first place, but it does not fully capture the full spectrum of physiological changes that happen after one minute. Therefore, hemoconcentration is the most accurate consequence of leaving a tourniquet on too long.