quick blood test question

oystercatcher

dieselhead wrote: »

Interesting topic read it a couple of days ago and then went to give blood they swabed my arm, the nurse said she wiped my arm for 30 secs and let it dry for 30 secs, she took my blood nice and easy. However one thing that did really surprise me given all the nurses were dealing with blood was that no-one wore gloves!

If you wear gloves it's a lot more difficult to feel the vein you are trying to locate. The gloves are to protect the person taking the blood and if you take it correctly there should be no contact with the blood. Needles go through gloves anyway so they don't protect from needlestick.

Not justifying it, the policy will say to wear gloves. I just know why so many people don't bother.

Torry_Quine

Well I had a blood test this week from my GP. She didn't clean the skin and indeed didn't use a tourniquet but got me to place my other arm on the one she was taking blood from. No gloves were worn which didn't bother me at all.

SallyUK

As Oystercatcher has said, it is harder to feel the vein when wearing gloves, but I find it helps when using wipes to remember where the vein is. (Anyway, it's not what you can see, it's what you can feel - lol) however the NHS policy seemed to be that if someone was trained wearing gloves, then it was easier for them to start off with.

Personally, I prefer wearing gloves, although as someone has said, it doesn't prevent needlestick injuries. I even wear gloves when I need to empty the bins! LOL

Sal
x

mr_rush

Writing as a doctor who's worked in the NHS for 5 years now:

1) Do nurses still use antispetic wipes before drawing blood?

Generally wipes should be used. Definitely for 'in-patients'. I can see why in the community they might not be but what's the harm in cleaning?

if a nurse can't draw blood from the inside of your arm/elbow/whatever or the back of your hand, what then? First nurse said there were no other options, but I find that hard to believe.

Your body is full of superficial and deep veins and arteries. Many can be accessed with a needle and syringe. I've taken blood from people's feet, legs, groin, hands, arms, fingers, wrists, scalp...

But doctors on wards are awful, they've picked up their training at med school, at various different work placements on rotation round clinical areas, they're all trained by different people and they all do it different. And they all think they know best just because they are doctors. We reject dozens of samples received in the lab every day and the majority of them are off ward doctors.

This kind of response gets me rather angry.
1. Yes we've been trained in medical school, where else would you have us be taught undergraduate medicine? And yes, there are different techniques in taking blood. If you can show me clear evidence of one SUPERIOR technique then I will bow down before you. Are phlebotomists all taught by ONE MYSTICAL GOD phlebotomist?

I'd also add that an experienced lab Biomedical scientist can interpret blood test results far better than some doctors. Its frightening some of they questions we get asked by supposedly qualified doctors!!

Depends what you mean by 'experienced' compared to the doctors experience. The crucial question is can the result be interpreted with reference to the undifferentiated patient before you taking into account not only their medical problem but social, spiritual and other welfare needs? This is the art of medicine instead of following blind protocols.

so ........ wait for it............ she tied a latex glove round my arm?!!!?

I don't see the problem. Latex glove is more hygienic - use once and then throw away unlike reusable tourniquets.

Regarding wearing gloves: I'm still to come across convincing evidence that wearing gloves when performing simple procedures like taking blood or inserting a venflon reduces infection risk. I still use gloves on some patients - more for my protection.