I was wondering what methods other blood centers use to help phlebotomy staff do a venipuncuture on a difficult vein. Do you use a clear cleansing solution, skin markers, sterile gloves, or other methods? Aid in venipuncture would result in decrease in our technically unusable rate.

In our facility, we don't mark the donor arm or any thing. This is what we do,

- Apply blood pressure cuff and adjust it to 40-60 mmHg while the donor opens and closes his/her arm and then select a site for venipuncture.

- Release BP cuff and prepare venipuncture site with Frepp Sepp kit.

- After preparing the site, wash hands and adjust blood pressure cuff to 80 mmHg and instruct the donor to make a fist.

-The site must be touched again to repalpate the vein. Palpating the vein may be performed with a gloved finger or else repeat the cleansing procedure.

- Then, insert the needle and release BP cuff to 60 mmHg.

I hope this helps.

Rania

I believe that it is acceptable to mark the site with a sterile surgical marker and then perform the arm scrub but do not enter the markings. Thanks.