Sunday, October 25, 2015

Tips on how to find vein or phlebotomy

Study: Know your anatomy, so if you can't see or feel the veins, you still know where to go.
Just the anatomy of where the veins are. Sometimes you can't see them (old people, people with dark skin) and you can't really feel them. I've done some blind insertions before successfully.

Dont panic: Initially, you will find it hard, but do not get embarrassed if you miss.

Tourniquet: Tying a torniquet often helps by making the vein more swollen and prominent.
In our hospital, the patient's relative is asked to hold with the fingers tightly around the arm instead of using torniquets.

Alternate tournique: A lil piece of the tubing (the transparent plastic tubing thats a part of the drip set)
I've seen people tying a glove round the arm when they don't have a tourniquet.

Someone asked me why else is the tourniquet used. 

I think the second use is stabilizing the vein by stretching the skin and underlying tissues away from the venipuncture site. If you have ever done blood collection from an elderly patient, you must know how hard it is! The lax skin makes it really difficult. So tourniquets are used in elderly even if the vein is visible just to taut the skin.

"Lift the tied tourniquet and stretch the skin and underlying tissues away from the venipuncture site. Then gently lower the tourniquet. You may be able to retract several inches of skin and tissue away from the site with this maneuver. which is especially helpful with elderly patients) who have less collagen, prolastn and elastin than younger patients) and patients who have lost a lot of weight recently."

How else can you make the vein prominent?
Tapping  the vein you're going to prick a few times would make it more prominent.

Don't use a bigger needle than you have to.

Look for prick marks where people have gone before.

PS: The most important thing is your safety. Never ever put the cap of the syringe first when covering it.
Because even the finest tremors can be dangerous. Slide the needle in the cap while the cap is on the table / bed whatever.

Practice: A lot.

Good luck.

No comments:

Post a Comment

This is express yourself space. Where you type create something beautiful! <3
Wondering what do I write? Well...
Tell us something you know better. You are a brilliant mind. Yes, you are! ^__^
Ask about something you don't understand @_@?
Compliment... Say something nice! =D
Be a good critic and correct us if something went wrong :|
Go ahead. Comment all you like here! (:

PS: We have moderated comments to reduce spam. ALL comments that are not spam will be published on the website.