Venipuncture Procedure

Venous Blood Sampling

Prior to the processing always protect yourself with personal protective equipment.


1- At First ensure the patient arm is supportet then feel vein you suppose to draw


2- Apply a tourniquet proximal to the venepuncture site and let's it easy to untie with your only hand


3- Tap on or rub the skin overlying the vein you want to puncture lightly to make it standout; or if the vein is obscure, you may be able to palpate its course with you index finger.
- Sterilization with alcohol and leave to dry in air (traces of alcohol causes hemolysis)


4- Pick up the vacutainer and remove the needle guard. (If you using syringe hold it between the thumb and the middle, ring and small finger of your dominant hand and steady the needle using your index finger. " Never hold the syringe like a pencil because it limits your angle of skin entry ")

 
5- Insert the needle with the hole on the beveled edge facing up , keeping your finger position on the tube secure and steady. Insert the first vial and continued to fill the remaining vial as needed.
(If you using the syringe confirm the entry of the vein by aspiration of blood.)

 
6- When the last vial is filing release the tourniquet the remove the vial. ( Once the desired volume of blood is aspirated into the syringe, steady it with one hand and release the tourniquet with the other hand.)


7- Use a piece of dry gauze to apply gentle pressure to the entry site while the needle is withdrawn.


8- Ask the patient to continue to apply pressure while you attend to the specimen obtained .


9- Remove the needle from the tube/syringe and drop it into the special box for disposal of sharp  instruments immediately.

10- Uncap the specimen container and deposit the blood sample into it directly from the syringe. Injecting blood into the container via the needle is not advisable because:

• (a) you may prick yourself and

• (b) forcing blood through the needle may cause hemolysis that can adversely affect the analytical fitness of the specimen.