I recently got some blood work. The lady who took my blood took 4 viles. She left the band around my arm until the last vile was drawn..in the process though she was having trouble getting the blood to flow. I told her that she needed to take the band off in order to get that flow. She refused and sd that the only take if off during the last vile. I told her that my arm was aching and finally she took if off, the blood started to flow and she seemed stuned because of this? Is it procedure to leave the band on the whole time even when drawing that many viles?
2007-12-19 15:23:21 · 3 answers · asked by fries123 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
A little note...I was not telling her how to do her job! I did tell her to take off the band because my arm was aching and swelling.
2007-12-23 06:56:27 · update #1
It is usual to leave the band (tourniquet) on until the completion of the phlebotomy.
If it is applied correctly, it should not stop arterial blood from entering the limb.
4 vials is not significantly more than is usually drawn. If I was to take blood cultures, 1 set would be the same amount of blood as 4 normal vials.
We would not use a tourniquet if we wanted an uncuffed calcium level (tourniquet can artificially raise the calcium result) or if we wanted an arterial sample (which is a different type of blood taking).
2007-12-19 15:28:37 · answer #1 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
YES, it is IS procedure to leave the touniquet on until the last tube is filled WHEN the phlebotomist is having a hard time getting your blood to flow. It would surprise me also to see blood flowing faster AFTER removing the tourniquet. In a difficult draw, removing the tourni often makes the flow STOP, and then I have to stick you again. She may have had it on too tight, though. That it started to flow after she took it off makes me think she stuck an artery rather than a vein(not good.)
But as a side note: PLEASE don't tell your phleb how to do her job. There's nothing we loathe more than those who don't know the first thing about venipuncture telling us how to do it. We don't come to your job and tell you how to do yours.
2007-12-23 03:55:10 · answer #2 · answered by alat32 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Proper Way To Draw Blood
2017-02-22 08:50:05 · answer #3 · answered by scrape 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋