How frequently does this patient require blood samples? Wasting blood to draw a clean sample is well documented to procedure iatrogenic anemia when this is done frequently. Also there is serious concern about using all CVADs for drawing blood samples. If you have no alternative and must use the implanted port, you should flush with 10 mLs, then draw a discard volume that is equal to 3 times the internal volume of the entire system. Or better yet, use the mixing method. Or even better depending on patient circumstances, draw from a peripheral vein. Lynn
How frequently does this patient require blood samples? Wasting blood to draw a clean sample is well documented to procedure iatrogenic anemia when this is done frequently. Also there is serious concern about using all CVADs for drawing blood samples. If you have no alternative and must use the implanted port, you should flush with 10 mLs, then draw a discard volume that is equal to 3 times the internal volume of the entire system. Or better yet, use the mixing method. Or even better depending on patient circumstances, draw from a peripheral vein. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861