Table of Contents
- 1 How can you tell the difference between veins and arteries when drawing blood?
- 2 How do you make your veins show blood drawn?
- 3 Which type of phlebotomy involves collecting blood from veins?
- 4 How do you know if you hit a vein or artery?
- 5 How do you draw blood from a vein without puncturing it?
- 6 Can a phlebotomist find veins with a hard stick?
How can you tell the difference between veins and arteries when drawing blood?
Palpate the veins several times with the index finger. Look, feel for the paths of the veins. Arteries are more elastic than veins and have a thick, rough wall. Veins do not pulsate; arteries do.
How do you make your veins show blood drawn?
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.
Why do we draw blood from veins and not arteries?
Veins are favored over arteries because they have thinner walls, and thus they are easier to pierce. There is also lower blood pressure in veins so that bleeding can be stopped more quickly and easily than with arterial puncture.
Why tourniquet is used in phlebotomy?
The aim of applying a tourniquet is to temporarily block the blood from exiting while still allowing enough blood to continue flowing into your arm to then build up in the veins behind the tourniquet. The vein becomes temporarily dilated and easier to access.
Which type of phlebotomy involves collecting blood from veins?
Venipuncture is the process of collecting or “draw- ing” blood from a vein and the most common way to collect blood specimens for laboratory testing. It is the most frequent procedure performed by a phle- botomist and the most important step in this proce- dure is patient identification.
How do you know if you hit a vein or artery?
Arteries have a pulse, and the blood in them is bright red and frothy. Arteries are located deeper in the body than veins and so are not visible as many of your veins are. You’ll know you hit an artery if: The plunger of your syringe is forced back by the pressure of the blood.
What to do if you puncture an artery instead of a vein?
What to do if you hit an artery
- Give up trying to inject on this occasion. Don’t try to go to a different injection site.
- Remove the needle from the injection site.
- If possible, you or a friend apply pressure to the site and try to elevate the wound if possible.
- Always seek medical help.
How can I make drawing blood easier as a phlebotomist?
Try light exercise beforehand. Some jumping jacks or push-ups can make your veins pop out. As a phlebotomist, though, you can’t expect patients always to follow perfect procedures to make drawing blood easier, and you may even find that some patients are rude.
How do you draw blood from a vein without puncturing it?
If properly inserted blood should flash into the catheter. If this does not happen then the needle has either not punctured the vein or the needle went through the vessel. Attach the needed tubes or syringes to remove the proper volume of blood. Remove the tourniquet as the last amount of blood is drawn.
Can a phlebotomist find veins with a hard stick?
As a phlebotomist, ‘hard stick’ patients may be frustrating to handle. With PhlebotomyU’s five tips on finding problematic veins, this process can become much more manageable. There are four common sites phlebotomists use for blood draws: median antecubital, cephalic, basilic and dorsal hand.
What do you learn in phlebotomy classes?
Getting blood drawn is in important procedure, whether it is for blood work or a blood donation. Phlebotomy classes teach students the techniques behind drawing blood so that each blood draw is successful.