Page 11 - PHLEBOTOMY STUDY GUIDE

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ALTERNATE VENIPUNCTURE SITES

The Hand:
The hand is distal from the AC. If finding a vein in the antecubital fossa is difficult,
ask your patient. “Do you mind if I look at your hand?”
Be cautious, veins in the hand tend to roll easily and rupture causing blood to seep out
of the vein into the surrounding area resulting in a hematoma. Hence the saying
“Blew”
If you’re obtaining blood and you begin to see a hematoma forming under the skin,
you blew the vein. Your next step should be to remove the tourniquet, remove the
needle, and apply pressure.

The Foot:
The Dorsalis Pedis is the vein used for drawing blood from the foot. Performing a
venipuncture on the foot can cause an embolism which can be fatal to a patient with
a clotting disorder.
Before obtaining blood from the foot you must have doctor’s permission.

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