Doctors usually mistake if for hyperkalemia when assessing the results. Follow us and never miss out on the best in nursing news. WebYour effort to overcome obesity is more likely to be successful if you follow strategies at home in addition to your formal treatment plan. I'm not sure I understand how this works, as the valves are already in place to prevent backflow. This is the name displayed to others on any playlists or clips you share, Copyright 2023 by Alexander Street, part of Clarivate, Logo of Alexander Street, part of Clarivate. 3. It happens! The site should not be warmed to a temperature higher than 42 EC. Ask the individual to flex his or her arm a bit. Anchor the vein from below with your non-dominant hand by gently pulling on the skin distal to the insertion site. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Top Vein Sites Used in Phlebotomy | PhlebotomyU | CPT1 Course Please wait while we send your information. equally, but do you know which nurses are making the most money in 2023? If none of the above options enable you to find a strong vein, you may need to find another puncture site. Very often, drinking water will get veins to show up that were not visible or palpable before. The hand and lower arm are the best places for transilluminators. 1) Phlebotomy Pages, Words of Wisdom From and to Phlebotomists, 2014,http://www.phlebotomypages.com/expert_tips.htm, 2) The American Red Cross, Tips For A Successful Donation, 2015,http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/tips-successful-donation. If that is the case, the patient should bend arm upwards which will make the vein more visible. Remove the tourniquet as the last amount of blood is drawn. That is usually the last resort. A medical expert should stroke them from distal to the proximal vein. The person performing venipuncture can administer 10 units of bacteriostatic saline which need to be injected intradermally. Web Place the tourniquet over the patients sleeve of the patient shirt sleeve if drawing an arm vein. Has 12 years experience. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail. Another technique is for you to use a blood pressure cuff. If you do otherwise, you are going to injure the patient. It is the first area to look for veins. Call us at 1-866-236-3276 to report any additional health information that you forgot to tell us, if you have any problems or if you needed medical care after giving blood. In most cases, simply following best practices and knowing how to find a difficult vein is the best way to carry out a successful draw. Once blood is seen in the tubing, connect the vacutainers or use a syringe to drawback. Use either a syringe or the luer adapter with the butterfly system. Insert the needle into the vein. Dont go deep. This, in turn, can cause increases in your blood pressure. 0000012539 00000 n
Some patient-friendly advice for getting blood drawn include the following: Drink plenty of water an hour before the draw. WebIf the finger or heel is cold to the touch, pre-warming the site for a few minutes with a warm compress or commercial heel warmer will increase the flow of blood through the capillary beds. Has 10 years experience. When you draw their blood, are you ready for them? Wetting the area, followed by deep massaging or palpating will oftentimes reveal or confirm vein location. Blood Collection: Special Considerations, Obese So, before attempting to draw blood, look at the 3 areas mentioned above for the best veins to access and draw a blood sample. Nursing schools do not teach this skill due to legality issues. To find out the advantages of the syringe method go here. Top Student Loan Forgiveness Programs for Nurses, Top Nursing Interview Questions & Answers, How to Create a New Graduate Nurse Resume, Best White Shoes for Nurses and Nursing Students, Best Stethoscopes for Nurses and Nursing Students, How to Work in the US as a Foreign-Educated Nurse, Why Nursing is a Great Career Choice for Men. However, in addition to our natural vein anatomy, here are several reasons why your veins may pose some difficulty when doing a blood test. We'll need to know about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you're taking. Additional equipment such as goggles and splash shields should also be worn in extreme situations. Get the latest on all things nursing by joining our email newsletter. If no blood flows, pull out the needle and repeat the draw. Your veins will be easier to find and palpate when you are well relaxed, as tension can constrict veins. Dismiss. Click to visit Blood Collection: Special Considerations, Obese Patients Usually, the antecubital area has the best veins for drawing blood. Anchor the vein. After assembling the appropriate equipment, follow the next steps to perform a proper venipuncture. Ideally, try to work with your patient ahead of time, or give them information about what they can do to make their blood draw experience easier. I Feel Stuck - Like My Options Are Limited, Ethical Arguments Against Mandatory Vaccination, Nursing Student on Spring Break Saves Collapsed Man's Life, Candida Auris: Dangerous Fungus Spreading in US Health Care Facilities, Nurses Week 2023 | Best Discounts, Freebies, and More. WebApplied Muscle Tension (AMT) is a series of simple exercises that help your blood pressure stay up and improve blood flow, so your chance of experiencing any side effects, like 0000014430 00000 n
There is no easy way to draw blood. If possible, look at areas that tend to have less subcutaneous fat, such as the back of the hand, the thumb, the wrist, and even the top of the foot. Below are several tips and tricks that you can use when you are faced with a difficult blood draw. WebWhen the patient has never had blood drawn The most important factor in controlling the spread of infection is Hand washing before and after the patient Latex sensitivity is a type of Allergic reaction The recommended vein to perform the venipuncture b/c sometimes is more superficial than other veins is called Median cubical vein WebObesity isn't just a cosmetic concern. window.ClickTable.mount(options); Also, it is the basis of diagnostics. At some time in life, every person will do a blood test, and not only one but multiple as life goes on. Standard laboratory studies in the evaluation of obesity should include the following: Fasting lipid panel. I hope you find my posts helpful. Blood pressure cuff is a great method of extracting blood in case that the veins are not visible enough. Blood Excess fat around the waist can put you at an even higher risk for obesity-related health problems, including heart disease and type 2 In order for the nurses to be successful when drawing blood, there are several key things they must know including. Feel out all your possible options before you decide to go for it. Agree with other posters - ask them where they usually get stuck, heat packs, gr The most common vein is the antecubital fossa; however, the median cephalic and median basilic veins are also used. If the person is dehydrated or hasnt been drinking a lot of fluids, get them to drink some and see if that helps. Check out our list of the top non-bedside nursing careers. Place a tourniquet and clean the area for 30 seconds with an alcohol wipe. Geriatric Patients: Best Tips For Drawing Blood - Phlebotomist This study guide will help you focus your time on what's most important. If using wet or damp washcloths, do so with caution. Sometimes, you may see a tendon thinking that it is a vein. Approach Considerations. Gloves are a must. The veins of one patient may be different in size and quality from another. You know what to look for and where to look for it, so sometimes a gentle touch can make finding a usable vein easier than looking for it. Avoid exaggerated hyperextension, which can be uncomfortable for the elderly. First, gather all of your supplies and discuss with your patient what you are going to be performing. There are numerous situations where you should refrain from using a tourniquet as a part of your equipment. Pumping fists can lead to pseudohyperkalemia or increased level of potassium in the blood. Use these tips to reduce the level of difficulty and make your chances more successful. What are some tips and techniques for drawing blood from an elderly person? If you havent rested properly, this can affect your ability to perform venipuncture and can lead to critical mistakes which you, as a professional, cannot afford. Venipuncture or drawing blood is one of the most common procedures performed in any medical center. In the end, if other medical experts managed to draw blood from a particular vein, you can do the exact same thing. These can include: Learning about your Tips for drawing blood successfully | Carrington College Properly label the tubes and send them to the laboratory for analysis. These exercises can be performed throughout your donation and afterwards in the refreshment area. Contact Us | Work @ Carrington | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Do Not Share My Personal Information | Sitemap | Student Consumer Information. The worst thing you can do is to continue stabbing the patient. With this in mind, you should be sure that youre getting any requisite or helpful information from your patient before beginning to draw blood. Donating Platelets? }); Use a transilluminator to find or confirm vein A transilluminator is a cool way of finding or confirming veins. To avoid bruising, place the tourniquet over the patients shirt sleeve if drawing blood from an arm vein. Using your thumb, pull back on the skin and hold the vein down. I once had a patient who was a VERY difficult stick - I brought in the best of the best IV starters that were working that night, but no luck. Only tighten it if necessary. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 Create an account and get 24 hours access for free. How To Draw Blood | A Step-by-Step Guide - Nurse.org allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students. It can be easy, especially when youre conducting multiple blood drawing procedures on a daily basis, to become somewhat detached from the patient that youre drawing blood from. Sometimes the veins are deeper so therefore you will have to go deeper. Average delivery time is 5-10 business days. of water (or other nonalcoholic drink) before your appointment. window.ClickTable.mount(options); This can help reveal the vein. But sometimes, it can find a vein you didnt see or feel. 6. It will stop the bleeding and prevent the creation of hematoma. }()); Drawing blood from a patient can be a daunting task, but it also is a necessity for nurses. The patients vein may have collapsed. As a phlebotomist, I have been faced with situations where drawing blood from a person was quite difficult. Lower the patients arm for a few minutes before applying the tourniquet. Sometimes, the patient may experience hemoconcentration. You could get help from them. Identify the patient using two patient identifiers as mandated by JCAHO. If you cant find a good vein, move to the back of the hand. Sometimes theyre very small, or hard to see. This is painful and can bruise the patient. Fluid retention. Patients hand should be dangling so that the blood can rush down and fill the veins. Massage the arm from the wrist to the elbow if using arm veins. 0000031373 00000 n
Afterward, make sure to store them properly. In a way, you have to entertain a person during phlebotomy. Password must have at least 8 character(s). Patients who are severely dehydrated can also make it difficult to find a vein. Fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Other tests are performed as indicated by clinical findings. Applied Muscle Tension (AMT) is a series of simple exercises that help your blood pressure stay up and improve blood flow, so your chance of experiencing any side effects, like fainting, stays low. If you dont know what a vein feels like, practice by feeling on yourself with you index finger. Prepare by drinking enough fluids before the blood test. Apply heat for about 3 to 5 minutes and then assess for vein. Weight gain. It worries me to see so many people in this thread and others talk about seeing veins and palpating them only if you can't see one. So, get help! This illuminated the veins that he could not palpate. The dorsal venous network is Reflecting off the subcutaneous tissue, the light colors subcutaneous and fat tissue. Phlebotomy basics Elderly persons walking in to do blood tests usually have nicer veins, though, there will still be a few difficulties.