instance: "61c9f514f13d4400095de3de", Insert the beveled needle at a 30-degree angle into the vessel. Additionally, you will have to consider the reason why you are performing insertion of the needle. An elderly persons veins are prone to collapsing, which could mean, you may have to try several times at drawing blood. Insert the needle at a 15 to 30-degree angle into the vessel. 2. Sometimes, you will need another person or two to help you with difficult patients. Alternate arms if youve given blood If this does not happen then the needle has either not punctured the vein or the needle went through the vessel. 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. The elderly are prone to bruising when applying the tourniquet. You need to have a firm, strong grip on patients hand. Create an account and get 24 hours access for free. trailer <<1A62135BA6734AC3B0AC4ED47D445652>]/Prev 812906/XRefStm 1512>> startxref 0 %%EOF 240 0 obj <>stream There are tips for making veins pop out when taking blood. You may need the approval of a physician or someone else. Only tighten it if necessary. Blood Test Vs Blood Donation (Comparisons). My trick is to press on their hand or arm with both of my thumbs. You need full access to the arm so you will have to sit in front of the patient, a bit to his side. Please wait while we send your information. I hope you find my posts helpful. These exercises can be performed throughout your donation and afterwards in the refreshment area. It all depends on your preparation and equipment. 2023 Carrington College. WebSome obese people are no prob, but some have deep veins, rolly pollies, etc. Follow your institutions policy when using heat. Many times combining techniques can mean the difference between finding a vein or not. You are able to confuse the nerves before the insertion. Patients Once blood is seen in the tubing, connect the vacutainers or use a syringe to drawback. Specializes in Wound Care. The loss of support makes it easy for veins to roll causing difficulty in drawing blood. You have to palpate first and decide from there. Secondly, they lay most of the time. Having years of experience in laboratory work and phlebotomy, Kadia Constant enjoys sharing what he has learned. As you get older, most of you systems tend to shrink and they become more fragile. The worst thing you can do is to continue stabbing the patient. Below are several tips and tricks that you can use when you are faced with a difficult blood draw. As a result, it can be difficult at times to find a vein to draw blood from. More than one-third of U.S. adults and 16% of U.S. children are obese. of water (or other nonalcoholic drink) before your appointment. Just my opinion. Its important to speak to your supervisor to learn the steps in order to become certified in your hospital. 0000011603 00000 n I am a full time phlebotomist and I enjoy my job. Place a tourniquet and clean the area for 30 seconds with an alcohol wipe. Lastly, you will have to mix tubes with an anticoagulant. Subscribe for the latest nursing news, offers, education resources and so much more! Please bring your donor card, driver's license or two other forms of identification. Furthermore, they protect the nurse or healthcare professional from a potential needle stick. This is the first and crucial rule of venipuncture. Commercial heat packs are best. This is a common misconception - pumping the hand does not increase venous circulation. Unfortunately, some veins are significantly easier to see than others. Make sure that no one gets directly exposed to blood. Venous access should always be based on feel, not looks. Follow institutional guidelines and policies wherever applicable. Phlebotomy basics : Nursing made Incredibly Easy - LWW var options = { The ability to obtain blood samples rapidly without altering cells in the sample is essential to maximize diagnostic quality. With this in mind, you should be sure that youre getting any requisite or helpful information from your patient before beginning to draw blood. 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. I'm not sure I understand how this works, as the valves are already in place to prevent backflow. Contact Us | Work @ Carrington | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Do Not Share My Personal Information | Sitemap | Student Consumer Information. tips on starting IV, drawing blood on obese patient. You can do that by gently massaging the arm, from the wrist to the elbow. How To Draw Blood | A Step-by-Step Guide - Nurse.org It is the sharpest part and this will be the best way of insertion. First, gather all of your supplies and discuss with your patient what you are going to be performing. Some guidelines suggest 40mm Hg. 0000001689 00000 n On average, it is much harder to find veins in people with darker skin tone. See which ones are available and good for drawing blood. What may be warm to you could be hot or even burn someone else. Measure the distance from the top of the head to the chin. Check for any allergies or sensitivities with the patient regarding antiseptics, adhesives, or latex. There are numerous situations where you should refrain from using a tourniquet as a part of your equipment. Put ur fingers on the bottom of their arm and press the tops with your thumbs. Here are the basic steps to drawing blood: The first step in drawing blood correctly is to identify the appropriate veins to puncture. Also, it is the basis of diagnostics. This instructional video, from the Blood Collection series produced by Medcom, Inc., is about special precautions for drawing blood from obese patients. This allowed him to see the vein and was able to get the IV in. If you really can't see a vein they usually will have one on their hand just between the 4th and 5th finger on the top of the hand. Venipuncture tips: 50 Actionable Tips to Perform If none of the above options enable you to find a strong vein, you may need to find another puncture site. The practice of phlebotomy is not something that can strictly be learned from watching videos or reading a how-to guide but something that must be practiced repeatedly in a controlled environment with other trained professionals. Also, you can gently press the needle against the venipuncture site for several seconds before insertion so that the nerves can get accustomed. Learning the anatomy of the main veins and arteries in the body is essential to becoming competent in phlebotomy. Also, by palpation, you can sometimes feel valves in people and learn to avoid them. The forearm is about the last place to look. Its important to remember that the patient is actually your most valuable resource during this process. The most common vein is the antecubital fossa; however, the median cephalic and median basilic veins are also used. Follow your institutional guidelines or polices or get advice from qualified personnel. Although this is something you mightve seen a lot in the movies, you should always avoid it. If the needle site starts to bleed, apply pressure and raise your arm straight up for 5-10 minutes or until bleeding stops. Gravity will often reveal hand veins you didnt see earlier. It can really make the veins pop. The medical expert needs a certain amount of practice as there are many things that can go wrong. Before you can start, you need to ask the patient if he has any allergies to drugs. Blood tests are no longer Hi! By explaining everything, you make sure there are no surprises ahead. On the surface, it seems as a rudimentary procedure, one that doesnt require any special training. Anchor the vein. Closely monitor the arm to ensure that is is not applied to tight or for more than 2 minutes. WebTo clarify: The serum on the left is what normal serum looks like, but actually comes from an obese patient middle aged or older with metabolic issues (the patients I normally work with). When the blood draw is complete, gently release the tourniquet.