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Follow These Safety Procedures When Using Blood Collection Needles

Follow these safety procedures when using blood collection needles to minimize exposure to blood and injury. Learn about safety equipment, infection prevention, and control practices to choose the right safety-engineered device for your needs. Additionally, discover tips for handling phlebotomy equipment, including wearing gloves and handwear, proper needle usage, and supporting the patient during the procedure. Stay safe and protect both yourself and your patients during blood collection.

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It is possible to purchase several safety-engineered devices on the market; these devices reduce exposure to blood and injury. Infection prevention and control practices, along with training in their use, should be accompanied by such devices. Phlebotomy may not require the use of all safety devices. The content in this section is intended to offer additional information on infection prevention and control, safety equipment, and best practice for you to choose a safety-engineered device that is appropriate for your needs. Also, we guide how to use safety-engineered instruments for drawing blood.

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  • Low-resource settings often purchase safety-engineered devices based on cost.
  • It is acceptable to use a needle and syringe without safety-engineered devices.
  • Prophylaxis available after exposure
  • Registers should be kept for recording exposures and specific details about an incident.

For those who are exposed accidentally, support services should be promoted. HIV and hepatitis B infections can be prevented with PEP. In addition to providing hepatitis B vaccination to all health workers (including cleaners and waste handlers), PEP should include hepatitis B vaccination as well.

Phlebotomy equipment should not be contaminated

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Approximately 25% of tourniquets contaminated by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are contaminated by phlebotomists who do not practice good hand hygiene or by tourniquets contaminated by the previous usage. Hepatitis B outbreaks have also been linked to contaminated point-of-care testing devices (e.g., glucometers) and reusable finger-prick devices.

It is recommended to keep all common-use items, such as glucometers, clean before using them on a patient and not reuse single-use items.

The training of phlebotomists

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  • All staff should be properly trained in phlebotomy to reduce the risk of blood exposure and adverse patient events.
  • Infection prevention and control practices lax for health care workers result in poor safety for staff and risk for patients. Health care workers who have historically not been formally trained in phlebotomy should be encouraged.
  • It will depend on the local conditions how long and in-depth the training will be; however, it should cover the essentials.
  • A physician who takes blood samples must be supervised by an experienced staff member and receive structured training.
  • Like any medical procedure that involves needles, working with blood collection needles must be done with extreme caution. The precaution is for the patient's safety and that of the blood collector.

This article will examine some of the common safety precautions when collecting blood with needles.

WEARING GLOVES AND HANDWEAR

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Maintaining clean hands and gloves is essential when handling blood collection needles. Gloves should be worn during blood draws to ensure patient safety.

Even if the blood is only drawn for research purposes, there should be no exceptions to this rule. A tainted glove should be thrown away immediately.

To prevent the risk of inadvertently sharing fluids, gloves should be changed between patients. After changing gloves, always wash your hands. If handwashing is not an option, alcohol-based cleaners can be used instead.

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The Needles

Recapping needles is never a good idea, even if they haven't been used. As soon as possible, use the needle safety feature. It is recommended to discard the tube-holder assembly and needle as a single unit without removing the contaminated needle from the unit.

To avoid injuries and keep patients and healthcare workers safe, it is crucial to use the right needle for blood collection. Cold-rolled stainless steel is the material used in Medriva's blood collection needles. Due to the thick walls of the thin-walled needles. Medical grade PP is used for the needles, which protects them. Additionally, the needles are sterilized with ethylene oxide to be used immediately after opening.

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Client

Researchers found that one in five people who give a blood sample pass out during or after the procedure. Being prepared is crucial in that case. Be sure to grasp firmly onto the patient's arm and shoulder. You should ensure that they are in a supportive and safe position if they fall asleep.

Basilic veins should be avoided in the absence of any other antecubital options. Stop drawing blood from a pricked vein right away. Then, for a long period, press firmly and firmly after the blood has been drawn. The draw sites are sealed in this manner to prevent bleeding over a longer

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In addition, phlebotomists should remain alert during the next ten seconds after releasing the pressure. As a result, the required pressure and force are applied.

BLOOD COLLECTION USING STRAIGHT NEEDLES

Blood collectors connect the straight to syringes or tubes before collecting blood. Phlebotomists insert needles into veins if the user chooses the tube holder. An empty tube is inserted into the back of the needle to collect the blood sample.

The posterior end of the cannula is covered with a flexible rubber cover when it is not in use. This seal is broken once the tube is connected. The tube is vacuumed (evacuated) to withdraw the predetermined blood volume.

Each time the cannula is removed, blood does not leak out of the tube due to the rubber fitting.

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