Problem Venipuncture Sites Flashcards
Problem Venipuncture Sites
- Burns, scars, or tattoos
- Damaged Veins
- Edema
- Hematoma
- Mastectomy (surgical breast removal)
- Obesity
Burns, scars, or tattoos
● Healed burn sites & areas with extensive scarring
○ may have impaired circulation
● Newly burned areas:
○ painful; susceptible to infection
● Tattooed areas
○ impaired circulation,
○ more susceptible to infection
○ contain dyes that can interfere with testing
- Damaged Veins
● hard and cord-like; occluded or obstructed
● sclerosed (hardened)
● thrombosed (clotted)
● Scarring caused by numerous venipunctures
● Choose another site if possible
● draw below (distal to) damaged veins
- Edema
● may yield inaccurate test results
(contamination with tissue fluid )
● veins are harder to locate
● tissue is often fragile and easily injured by
tourniquet and antiseptic application
● healing may be prolonged
- Hematoma
● Swelling or mass of blood that can be caused by blood
leaking from a blood vessel during or following
venipuncture
hard and cord-like; occluded or obstructed
Damaged Veins
- Mastectomy (surgical breast removal)
● Lymph node removal causes lymphostasis (obstruction
or stoppage of normal lymph flow)
● susceptible to swelling and infection
● Applying a tourniquet to the arm can cause injury
● lymphostasis can change blood composition in that arm
- Obesity
● Veins may be deep and difficult to find
● Proper tourniquet selection and application
● median cubital vein
● cephalic vein
● To locate the cephalic vein, rotate the
patient’s arm so that the hand is prone
sclerosed
(hardened)
draw_______damaged veins
below (distal to)
thrombosed
(clotted)
Scarring caused by numerous venipunctures
Damaged Vein
healing may be prolonged
Edema
veins are harder to locate
Edema
tissue is often fragile and easily injured by
tourniquet and antiseptic application
Edema
may yield inaccurate test results
(contamination with tissue fluid )
Edema
(surgical breast removal)
Mastectomy
Lymph node removal causes __________
Lymphostasis (obstruction
or stoppage of normal lymph flow)
susceptible to swelling and infection
Mastectomy
______ can change blood composition in that arm
lymphostasis
Applying a tourniquet to the arm can cause injury
Mastectomy
To locate the cephalic vein, rotate the
patient’s arm so that the hand is ________
prone
(hardened)
sclerosed
(clotted)
thrombosed
