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Most blood tests only take a few minutes to complete and are carried out at your GP surgery or local hospital by a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist (a specialist in taking blood samples).
Where on the body can blood be drawn from?
Most of the time, blood is drawn from a vein located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). An elastic band is put around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area. This makes the vein below it swell with blood.
Can blood be drawn from the back of your hand?
Use your thumb to pull back gently on the surface of the skin, making the skin tight. The vein should be anchored adequately to proceed with venipuncture. The hand veins will be more prominent if the patient grips a pillow or a rolled up washcloth.
What areas should you avoid drawing blood on a patient?
Do not use the tip of the finger or the center of the finger. Avoid the side of the finger where there is less soft tissue, where vessels and nerves are located, and where the bone is closer to the surface. The 2nd (index) finger tends to have thicker, callused skin.
Can blood be drawn incorrectly?
The person who performs the blood draw is called a phlebotomist. However, if the technique is incorrectly performed, the patient can sustain injuries, termed “needlestick injuries.” Unfortunately, some phlebotomists are poorly trained, inexperienced or may rush through a procedure. This is when complications ensue.
Can you draw blood without a vein?
If the medical staff does not see a vein that will work for a blood draw, they may take blood from another location. Depending on the protocols of the lab, clinic, or doctor’s office, they may be able to do a blood draw from the top of the hands, wrists, and other areas on the arms.
Who can draw blood from a patient?
A phlebotomist is someone who draws blood from a patient, for a variety of procedures including tests, transfusions, research, medical procedures or donations. Phlebotomists might work with patients, doctors, nurses, scientists and lab technicians.
Can blood be drawn from forearm?
Learn more about the typical anatomy of the arm and hand when it comes to veins. For example, many people who perform blood draws will do so in the antecubital area of the arm (inner part of the forearm) where there are several large veins.
Can you draw blood from upper arm?
To get blood drawn, you’ll sit in a chair or lie down. The person who takes the blood will ask you to make a fist with your hand. Then they’ll tie a band, called a tourniquet, around your upper arm. This makes your veins pop out a little more, which will make it easier to insert the needle in the right place.
Is there an alternative to getting blood drawn?
There are now two excellent options for remote, self-drawn blood sampling. The first, dried blood spotting (DBS), is simply a fingerstick sample placed on a specially treated card that, once dried, is inserted into a protective envelope and mailed to the clinic or other destination without any special handling.
What to do if you hit an artery during venipuncture?
What to do if you hit an artery: Untie your tourniquet and pull your needle out immediately. Raise the limb above your head to stop the bleeding, if possible. Apply firm pressure to the wound for at least 10 minutes.
Why is order of draw important?
The order of draw is recommended for both glass and plastic venous collections tubes when drawing multiple specimens for medical laboratory testing during a single venipuncture. The purpose is to avoid possible test result error due to additive carryover. All additive tubes should be filled to their stated volumes.
Which vein should not be used for venipuncture?
The cephalic and basilic veins have a greater tendency to roll and veinpuncture may be more painful from these sites. Sometimes venipuncture is performed on hand veins when the veins in the antecubital fossa are not appropriate.
Can I sue for a bad blood draw?
Filing A Nerve Damage From Blood Draw Lawsuit You’ll need to prove that the technician who treated you was negligent. If you’re able to show that the phlebotomist didn’t follow the standard of care, and that you were harmed as a result, you might receive compensation for your injuries.
What happens if you use the wrong tube when drawing blood?
Using the wrong tube, collecting an insufficient quantity, and blood clotting can lead to delays in care and erroneous lab values. Electron- ic systems that generate labels specifying which type of tube to use can virtually eliminate wrong- tube errors.
What happens if a nerve is hit during a blood draw?
There are bundles of nerves close to your major veins, and if one of those nerves is nicked or punctured by the phlebotomist (the person drawing your blood), you could experience the following: The feeling of an electric shock during the procedure. Persistent pain in the arm. Numbness and tingling in the arm and hand.
Do nurses have to draw blood?
Drawing blood is one of the skills required of a registered nurse. While there are phlebotomists that work at the hospital, you can’t count on them to always be there when your patient needs an important lab test done.
What if you can’t find a vein?
Tips and Tricks for Accessing Problem Veins Get warm. When the body is warm, blood flow increases, dilating the veins and making them easier to find and stick. Use gravity. Increase blood flow to your arm and hand by letting gravity do the work. Hydrate. When the body is properly hydrated, veins become more dilated. Relax.
Is a phlebotomist a doctor?
A phlebotomist is a healthcare professional who is trained to draw blood from a patient for lab tests that are ordered by a medical doctor. Phlebotomy entails a relatively short training period. A Phlebologist is a medical doctor with many years of medical school and postgraduate training.
Is a phlebotomist a medical assistant?
What Do Phlebotomists Do? Phlebotomy is a more specialized skill set than the Medical Assistant role. The main duty of a Phlebotomist is drawing and collecting blood samples for patients.
Is drawing blood an invasive procedure?
Phlebotomy – the drawing of blood – has been practiced for centuries and is still one of the most common invasive procedures in health care (1). However, practice varies considerably between countries, and between institutions and individuals within the same country (2).
Do doctors take blood from veins or arteries?
How the Test Is Performed. Blood is usually drawn from an artery in the wrist. It may also be drawn from an artery on the inside of the elbow, groin, or other site.
Can you draw blood from the neck?
The jugular vein runs along the whole length of the neck; however, the easiest place to take blood from is about 6 to 8 inches down from the throat latch area. Drawing blood requires a lot of practice, and you should be assisted by a veterinarian prior to attempting it on your own.
