Important Guidelines for Venipuncture and Cannulation

There are certain things that should be determined before patients undergo venipuncture and cannulation. People who have a history of abnormal blood condition such as those who are under the medication of warfarin or other blood anti-coagulants. Patients taking these substances take a longer time to stop the bleeding caused by the bruise.

There are a number of significant points that one needs to remember during the procedure of venipuncture and cannulation. Just to cite an example you would have to release the tourniquet which has been placed maybe a couple of minutes earlier to the needle insertion. This should be done in order to allow the blood to resume its normal flow. Most patient’s experience an uncomfortable feeling when the tourniquet is placed and removing it help ease that feeling.

There are instances where the patient might experience sudden extreme pain. This could be due to a venous value which is involved during the process. You need to immediately discontinue the medical operation as it seems to be the most reasonable thing to do. Always remember that the comfort of the patient is important and you must prevent any bleeding or additional damage if any unexpected problem occurs.

You must determine the right vein where the needle is to be inserted and this forms part of the process of venipuncture and cannulation. The process becomes very critical in those patients whose veins are not easily exposed. If there had been more than a couple of unsuccessful attempts then it would be advisable to seek the help of a colleague or an experienced phlebotomist.

It is very important that the condition of the patient is observed properly during the entire medical process. This will enable you to help the patient if he or she shows any signs of dizziness or fainting that get manifested during the procedure. The sensitiveness of the brachial artery is also to be considered in the procedures involving venipuncture and cannulation. Most experienced phlebotomists are capable of determining the veins associated with brachial artery. If you are someone who is still in the initial stages of practice locating the brachial artery has to be done correctly and this should be done before the needle is inserted.

Worst case, if there are situations that there are multiple attempts and still you have not extracted the blood sample, the patient should be suggested to come back for another day. You may also want to recommend a nearby hospital, a medical facility or a laboratory to where there are more experienced phlebotomists available.

Phlebotomy Training specialist Dr Shahbaz A. Cheema, Course Director, Maxis Healthcare UK Limited – Leaders of Phlebotomy & Venipuncture Training ( taking blood ) Courses in London. Whether you have Medical Experience or Not, You Can Gain A Certificate Of Competency In 5 Days Or Less – 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. 99.6% Course Pass Rate.

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