A question has come up from one of our specialty clinics. The staff would like to know if it is recommended practice to perform venipunctures on patients who has limited sensation or movement in an extermity. The INS 2011 standards state venipuncture should not be performed in an extremity affected by cerebrovascular accident. I work at a pediatric facility, but consider this statment to mean any extremity affcted by loss of sensation or movement. Would this be a correct? If not, please advise and let me know where I may locate this rationale. Thank you.
You are correct. Anything that impacts the patient's ability to move the extremity and/pr to feel sensation in that extremity should NEVER be used for a venipuncture and infusion. Lack of movement will decrease the muscle pump action that is the normal mechanism causing blood to move back to the heart. Lack of sensation will prevent the patient from feeling pain or discomfort when a complication is occurring. These extremities should be avoided. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861