Section 19 - Making Difficult Draws Less Difficult

Question 1

According to the CLSI, what percentage of draws are unsuccessful?

Answer 1

5%

Question 2

List 2 factors that may contribute to a difficult blood draw?

Answer 2

Hard to find veins, scarred and sclerosed veins, unconscious patient, rolling/collapsing veins, and insufficient quantity

Question 3

TRUE OR FALSE: Prewarming the site is not a helpful technique to use for a blood draw.

Answer 3

FALSE

Question 4

If you are unable to feel a vein once the tourniquet is applied, is it okay to tie it tighter?

Answer 4

YES

Question 5

In pediatric blood draws under two years of age, which vein is predominantly used?

Answer 5

Median cubical vein

Question 6

Is it okay to ask patients where other people have had success in performing blood draws?

Answer 6

YES

Question 7

TRUE OR FALSE: You should wake a sleeping patient to draw their blood.

Answer 7

TRUE: don’t touch

Question 8

________ patients generally have less firm anatomy, which could affect the ease of their blood draw.

Answer 8

Geriatric