Venipuncture for blood sampling

Hello. This video will cover how to obtain a sample of blood by venipuncture.

Normally you do everything on this list, but to keep things concise, we'll focus on the steps in blue and we will also cover the needle and syringe system.

Frequently ask questions and include a summary. As with any procedure.

Don't forget to wash your hands, introduce yourself to the client, explain the procedure and receive consent. Here's the equipment, you'll need a sharps container, a tourniquet, antiseptic swabs some gauze some tape, a needle sample collection tubes and a syringe or transfer device or vacuum extraction system.

You might also need something to warm the limb with like a wet warm cloth to begin tie a tourniquet around the arm 2 to 2.5 inches or 5 to 6 centimeters above your expected site of insertion.

Choose a vein on the dorsal or ventral surface of the arm but not too close to the wrist. Pick a well dilated vein if possible, gently palpate the vein to get a better idea of its location.

A good vein should feel soft and bouncy. Now release the tourniquet to restore blood flow, clean the insertion site with chlorhexidine or another antiseptic.

Use the first swab to clean side to side. The second swab to clean up and down.

And the third swab to clean in a circular motion allow it to completely dry, reapply the tourniquet above the insertion site and have the patient make a fist, attach the double ended needle to the vacuum extraction system, then remove the cap from your needle.

If you're using a butterfly needle, attach the adapter at the end of the vacuum extraction system, then lift the needle guard and remove the upper cap.

Anchor the vein with your thumb by pulling away from the direction that you're gonna insert the needle, insert the needle at a 15 to 30 degree angle with the bevel facing up.

That's important. The bevel must be facing up, stop advancing the needle when you feel a pop, that means the needle has entered the vein.

Once you're in, push a tube into the vacuum extraction device, allow it to fill before removing the tube and inserting the next.

While one tube fills gently mix the blood in the previous tube with the anticoagulant coated on the inside of the tube. Once you've collected all the blood you need, release the tourniquet with your spare hand.

It's important you do this before removing the needle. Since the pressure caused by the tourniquet can increase bleeding from the puncture site.

Remove the needle and firmly apply a small piece of gauze to the site with your spare hand, activate the needle safety device before removing and disposing it into a sharp's container.

Place a small piece of tape over the insertion site to hold the gauze in place. Write the patient's name, date and your initials on the tube and voila you're done.

Well, almost have the patient verify that the information you've written down on the label is correct and that there are at least two patient identifiers on each sample such as the patient's name ID number or telephone number.

With some patients, especially Children and infants, vacuum extraction systems generate too much negative pressure and can collapse the vein.

In this case, you'll need to use a needle and syringe system. The steps are pretty much the same instead of attaching the needle to a vacuum extraction device, expel the air from a syringe and attach the needle to that.

Alternatively, if you're using a butterfly needle, attach the adapter at the end into the syringe. Once you've punctured the site, slowly pull back on the plunger until you've collected the desired amount of blood.

It's important to go slow to prevent the vein from collapsing. Once you're done collecting blood, activate the safety device on the needle and set the syringe down while placing tape over the gauze, then you'll need to detach the needle and dispose of it into the sharps container to get the blood out of the syringe and into a tube.

Attach a transfer device hold the syringe with the transfer device facing down and insert the tube to allow it to fill. Here are some frequently asked questions you might have.

What size of needle should I use for adults? Use a 21 to 23 gauge needle for Children or older adults with small veins, use a 22 to 23 gauge needle for neonates use a 23 gauge needle.

What does the color of the cap on the blood collection tube mean the color of the cap on the blood collection tube tells you whether the tube contains any additives.

Different additives are used for different purposes. For example, tubes with a lavender cap contain the anticoagulant K two EDTA and are usually reserved for complete blood counts.

What insertion sites should I use when choosing an insertion site aimed to use the patient's non dominant arm. The antecubital veins work best under most circumstances but otherwise start at the hand and work upwards hand veins like the metacarpal and dorsal veins work well.

Good. Alternatives include the cephalic accessory or basilic veins in kids and neonates the feet, dorsalis, pedis, ankles, sinus and hands are commonly used as a quick summary, clean the insertion area, assemble, vacuum extraction device, insert needle and collect blood, remove and dispose of the needle and label the blood