Vein Selection for Venipuncture

Objectives:
1. Purpose of Venipuncture
2. Sites of Collection
3. Mastering the art of Venipuncture

Introduction about Venipuncture

 Venipuncture is the process of drawing blood from a vein.

 Venipuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of
intravenous therapy or diagnosis.

 Purpose of Venipuncture
1. To acquire blood samples for diagnostic purposes.
2. To monitor levels of various blood components.
3. To administer therapeutic treatments intravenously, including medications, nutrition or
chemotherapy.
4. For removing blood to combat high levels of iron or red blood cells.
5. To collect blood for later uses, such as blood transfusion.

 Sites of Collection
1. Antecubital fossa
 Median Cubital
 Basilic Veins
 Cephalic Veins
2. Dorsal Veins
 Dorsal Venous arch
 Basilic Vein
 Cephalic Vein
3. Foot and Leg Vein
Foot
 Medial Curve
 Lateral Curve
Leg
 Great Saphenous Vein

 Mastering the Art of Venipuncture

1. Know your Veins- A common choice for adult patients is the Median Cubital Vein in
the Antecubital fossa, close to the surface and tends not to roll when punctured.
2. Take a deep breath- Ask the patient to take a deep breath just before you stick.
3. Anchors away- Stretching the skin by “anchoring” the vein doesn’t just help you stick
the vein on the first try, it also make the stick less painful.
4. Feelings, nothing more than just a feeling- Part of selecting the vein comes down to
feeling. Not a gut feeling but literally feeling for the vein.
5. The invisible Vein- To obviate the need for multiple inconvenient and painful
attempts at securing the needle, apply a warm pad to the target vein for a few
minutes.
6. Less than 30- Keep the angle of insertion at 30 degrees or less (15 is ideal) to avoid
passing through the vein.
7. Label Immediately- For your sake and the patient’s sake, label all
sample immediately, even if things are going a mile a minute.
8. Know when to quit- Don’t think of it as failure or defeat, think of it as making the
best decision for your patient. Getting a fresh set of eyes on the situation might be
all that’s needed to finally draw a good sample, and knowing when to seek help is
the mark of a pro.
9. There’s a body attached to that Arm