tips for drawing blood on obese patients

Otherwise, it may indicate that you have missed which is when you should immediately back up. Password must have upper and lower case letters. It is a medical problem that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. obese : phlebotomy - Reddit Blood pressure cuff is a great method of extracting blood in case that the veins are not visible enough. Quiz and answer key included. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Password must have at least 8 character(s). Let us know if you have a preferred arm or particular vein that has been used successfully in the past to draw blood. 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. This is a common misconception - pumping the hand does not increase venous circulation. The loss of support makes it easy for veins to roll causing difficulty in drawing blood. This can cause an overall loss of plasma in the blood, and the sample could be unusable. This can help individuals with deep veins, who are obese, or with some edema. For example, in a case of a patient with fragile veins, it is much better to skip a tourniquet as it may cause the vein to blow out. Spaces are not allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for periods, hyphens, apostrophes, and underscores. Make sure not to press too hard! Extend the arm. Next step is explaining the procedure. Our mission is to Empower, Unite, and Advance every nurse, student, and educator. Tips for drawing blood successfully | Carrington College Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Most of the time, the visibility of the vein depends on the patient. Below are 5 key areas of importance with tips. Improve knowledge and awareness of the risks associated with phlebotomy among all health workers involved in the practice, Increase safe practices and reduce blood borne virus exposure and transmission, Availability of appropriate supplies and protective equipment, Availability of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), Avoidance of contaminated phlebotomy equipment, Recapping and disassembling vacuum-containing tubes and holders, Reusing tourniquets and vacuum-tube holders that may be contaminated with bacteria and sometimes blood, Working alone with confused or disoriented patients who may move unexpectedly, contributing to needle-sticks, Proper safety standards to avoid a needle stick, standards for quality care for patients and health workers, including, availability of appropriate supplies and protective equipment, availability of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), avoidance of contaminated phlebotomy equipment. These can include: Learning about your Survey the hand and choose a vein that you can draw blood from. If its possible for you to give your patients some tips ahead of time, this can make hard-to-find veins for a blood draw so much easier. Afterward, make sure to store them properly. WebBy using a syringe and needle to draw the patient's blood, you can control the pressure and speed at which the blood is removed by varying the rate that you pull back on the For routine antisepsis, you can use a standard alcohol prep pad or alcohol-impregnated swabs. Even with all these guidelines, perhaps the best approach is if you ask the patient from which vein they usually draw his blood. Wetting the area, followed by deep massaging or palpating will oftentimes reveal or confirm vein location. Once you remove the needle, gauze should be applied for a bit. If properly inserted blood should flash into the catheter. Find a convenient blood drive near you and schedule an appointment to donate today. We worked with CreditCards.com to help nurses find the right card to fit their lifestyle. It can help veins to pop up, making them probably visible and easier to find. What may be warm to you could burn the elderly. Click here for a previous article I wrote about rolling veins. Also, by palpation, you can sometimes feel valves in people and learn to avoid them. It allows the phlebotomist to control the vacuum, which is good because it is much less traumatic on a patient's vein. The ability to obtain blood samples rapidly without altering cells in the sample is essential to maximize diagnostic quality. My trick is to press on their hand or arm with both of my thumbs. You should draw blood in the following locations: Often, you wont know your patient personally before drawing their blood, unless you work at a smaller practice and have done it for them before. It all depends on your preparation and equipment. Students should study venipuncture in books and watch licensed nurses in clinical settings perform this task. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 Patients hand should be dangling so that the blood can rush down and fill the veins. Select a donation type and find a convenient time that works best for you. WebDrink an extra 16 oz. Relax, listen to music, talk to other donors or read while you donate. *This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Unfortunately, some veins are significantly easier to see than others. Sign up to receive the latest nursing news and exclusive offers. Increased body mass can also lead to issues during venipuncture. Check out our list of the top non-bedside nursing careers. The three most commonly used veins for drawing blood are the median cubital, the cephalic, and the basilic veins. professionals to write our content whenever possible. Its important to do everything in your power to ensure the comfort of the patient when drawing blood. window.ClickTable.mount(options); Secondly, they lay most of the time. Difficult Blood Draws: Best Tips For Difficult Veins Whether youre becoming a nurse, a doctor or a certified medical assistant, youll probably have to draw blood countless times over the course of your career. If the blood is not delivered in a timely manner it can cause hemolysis and skew the lab results. Contact Us | Work @ Carrington | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Do Not Share My Personal Information | Sitemap | Student Consumer Information. Thank you. To avoid bruising, place the tourniquet over the patients shirt sleeve if drawing blood from an arm vein. There are numerous situations where you should refrain from using a tourniquet as a part of your equipment. (function() { 0000011603 00000 n If you have an issue finding the vein, do not hesitate and call for a senior, more proficient colleague. WebIn this module, you'll learn why the right approach is critical when drawing from overweight patients, and you'll have a newfound appreciation for what it's like for too many If you are drawing from a leg, the extremity needs to be placed over the bed so We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. 0000000016 00000 n Attach the needed tubes or syringes to remove the proper volume of blood. One of our Enrollment Services Representatives will be contacting you shortly. Luckily, got it on the first stick. We've looked at programs nationwide and determined these are our top schools. As we mentioned, it is your duty as a medical professional to ensure the patient that everything will be ok. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about our daily giveaways from shoes to Patagonia gear, FIGS scrubs, cash, and more! Without further ado, here are 50 tips that will help you perform this crucial procedure. Please wait while we send your information. Maybe the number one thing that a person can do is to make sure they are well hydrated. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. Furthermore, it has a low risk of damaging surrounding nerves, arteries, and tendons versus other veins in the hands. 0000009423 00000 n go-to source for nursing news, trending topics, and educational resources. Don't take aspirin for 2 days before your appointment. However, you will need a doctors permission for this. 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. 0000012940 00000 n Password must have at least 1 special character(s). Each healthcare system has its own requirements prior to nurses performing blood draws. If you allow the visible stress or discomfort of your patient to permeate your own mentality, then youre far more likely to make a mistake or miss the vein. Be careful, though. Gravity will often reveal hand veins you didnt see earlier. Lab gives us an 8 minute window (+/- 4 minutes from exactly one hour from when they finish their glucose) to get the draw. Invert a BP cuff so that the blood can go to the lower regions of the limb. Then, massage from the wrist to the elbow. Blood If this does not happen then the needle has either not punctured the vein or the needle went through the vessel. Although this is not a necessity, it is pretty much recommended. Do not snap your fingers over the vein as doing so can be painful and can initiate clotting activity, resulting in erroneous test results. N. Cleanse the puncture site: Cleanse the site with 70% isopropyl alcohol until clean. It used to be that all 50 states required blood tests before getting a marriage license but that is no longer the case. After that, pressure needs to be applied on insertion point. The needle has passed through the vein. Let us know if you have a preferred arm or particular vein that has been used successfully in the past to draw blood. Prep the venipuncture site by cleansing the area with an alcohol prep pad for 30 seconds and allow to air dry for 30 seconds. WebApply a warm cloth or towel to the arm to cause the veins to dilate. In this guide, well cover how to find a standard vein and what you can do if that vein isnt proving to be a good option. Avoid excessive probing. In the case of elderly patients, make sure to use smaller needles and to be extra gentle. 0000279572 00000 n Liver function studies. Pump the fists! Subscribe for the latest nursing news, offers, education resources and so much more! If the median cubital, cephalic, or basilic veins cant be found, then go to other sites on the arm. Ask the patient where they usually get stuck. I have had patients tell me nurses are more successful in one arm than the other, etc. One thing that

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