Hematoma??

Question

How long do hematomas resulting due to faulty phlebotomy skills take before they disappear? And they do disappear without trace right?

Disclaimer: I am not being critical of anyone's skills! I am taking phlebotomy classes and the hematoma's just keep adding on with people practicing on each other so I was wondering how long it'll take for them to disappear afterwards!

Answer 1

A hematoma is just a buise like any other bruise, and can appear even with the most skillful of phlebotomists. Don't be so quick to jump all over your health care providers because you got a "wittle bwuise" when they were attempting to care for you.

Don't worry--it will go away. If you're so concerned about it, apply ice off and on after any sort of IV insertion or blood-draw. Some of us diligently donate our blood to save the lives of others, and recognize that bruises are just part of the deal, even with the best phlebotomists in the world. They clear up as quickly as any other bruise.

Answer 2

They normally disappear without trace, but not always. Sometimes they can cause reflex sympathetic dystrophy (essentially pain with no obvious cause) or nerve damage, although this is very rare. Scar tissue can form on the vien which can make future phlebotomies more difficult. If you have any tingling or it starts to hurt a lot, you should definitely make some noise about it.
But as long as you don't have these symptoms, it is extremely unlikely that there is any damage that won't heal in a couple of weeks.
As for another poster talking about 'wittle bwuises', it is precisely this kind of judgmental relativism about people's conditions that leads to potentially dangerous complications not being spotted. As a healthcare professional, this kind of arrogance should be rooted out as soon as possible. Every concern any patient has should be taken seriously on its own merit, and never compared to how other people are 'REALLY suffering'.
Besides, the question was about hematomas resulting from repeated phlebotomies in a short space of time, about which I think concern is even more valid.

Answer 3

It depends on the size of the hematoma. If it's a regular bruise, it'll turn lovely colors and disappear in a week or two like every other bruise. If you have a large collection of blood, it may take weeks to go away. (Those are usually the result of post surgical bleeding, though, not needlesticks.)

Any needlestick can cause a bruise. I've been jabbing people since 1985 and I still give some people bruises. It depends on the patient, the size of the needle, and how lucky you are that day.

Answer 4

A week