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the importance of a good phlebotomist

H

hanadr

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I've had some horrendous experiences when going for blood tests. The veins in my elbows, don't run where they are expected to and phlebotomists in a hurry like to try for the backs of my hands. In addition, I take aspirin( hence bleed a lot) and bruise badly. I was assured this morning, by the phlebotomy angel who didn't hurt at all, that it's nothing to do with being fat., despite my BMI of 30.1, she said I didn't look overweight at all and pulled a face when I said I'm 89 kilos and officially "obese". In shoes, I'm a 5 feet 10 size 18 with a disproportionately large bust( courtesy of Mother Nature NOT plastic surgery)
Last time I was "Done", I waited until noon, fasting and within 2 hours my hand was like a purple pig's trotter. which HURT!.( took a week to recover and went green and yellow) Today the angel did everything almost without my feeling it and I'm left without a mark.
I shall drive over to Newbury from my home in Reading next time too and remember "Alice"
In addition, someone in that Community hospital has a brain. On the wall is a sign saying, i"f you've been fasting, why don't you have breakfast in our cafe? I had egg and bacon, delicious! in a light airy cafe with artworks on the wall, which are for sale. I didn't give in to any of those.
 
I find the best 'blood letters' are the Phlebotomists or Practice nurses.The doctors invariably bruise me!One arm has veins like tree trunks and the blood tends to spurt past the vacu-tainer the other ,the veins are really difficult to find and really bruises easily.
 
Ooh, don't get me started on phlebotomists. My veins do have a habit of collapsing it's true but the low point was on 2 occasions I had my GP phone up in a panic since based on the blood results, I had so much potassium in my system I should have been dead. I ended up having a blood test repeated 4 times and in the end had it taken by the head blood analyst because she couldn't trust the phlebotomists doing it correctly. My blood chemistry is perhaps unusual but I'm not an alien and it's not Green!!! :mrgreen:
 
I take blood regularly and have not failed for over ten years. The secret is a REALLY tight tourniquet and one that has not lost it's stretch.

wiflib
 
Another vote for the phlebotomists at Newbury - I am a real needle wimp and they always take good care of me with minimum pain. :)
 
They vary hugely in terms of pain and competence, even with my "good veins" or so I have been told.

Making sure you are well hydrated may help make it easier for them. Changing careers might be an option for others.
 
The only one otherthan angel Alice form yestrday who didn't hurt me was a Julie, who'd given up a job in finance. Also at Newbury. Why else would I trek across the county for blood samples, when I could get to the Royal Berks by bus?
 
At my old clinic it used to be that for interim visits (not annual reviews) they would take a capilliary blood sample out of my thumb to obtain the HBA1C result. But when I moved house (and diabetic clinic) they take blood from the vein for both annual review visits and interim visits which has really disappointed me, because I do not have very good veins and have had some awful experiences (e.g. 4 attempts! out of the back of the hand).

Can anyone else shed light on how their clinic goes about interim visit blood tests?
 
Hi Orchid
Interim visits?
My health centre forgets, unless I remind them! :cry: and they don't have their own machine. I just got the info on it for my doctor. Maybe they'll get one. it will depend on whether it saves them money I expect.
 
I've been diagnosed for less than a year but so far I am on tests every three months and it is always an arm full from the hospital phlebotomist.

I dont watch (wimp) but I think they always take two samples.

Just checked - the sheet for my next test includes a liver function test so it would be a full sample anyway.

I am assuming that my regime will be quarterly HbA1c tests reviewed with my doctor, and support from the diabetic nurse as and when required.

Had my flu and pneumonia jabs this winter as well - I felt a bit of a fraud having the flu jab as I don't regard myself as old or infirm but it seems a sensible precaution.

Cheers

LGC
 
Hi LGC
Where is your health Centre?
I'm thinking mine, although the people are lovely, needs a shake up
 
hanadr said:
Hi LGC
Where is your health Centre?
I'm thinking mine, although the people are lovely, needs a shake up
Click to expand...

A lot of them do!

In one place my doctor was the most clueless of them all, and unfortunately the only one they would let me have due to the village I lived in. (The nearest doctor was very good but wouldn't let me see him again as I lived over the county line, I had to go miles out of my way instead)

It *was* noticed though, one of the hospital doctors gave me a heads up that a couple of young guys had just set up an alternative practice and suggested I go there pretty quick as they were picking up so many patients they would soon have to close their lists.

It was like chalk and cheese, friendly helpful receptionists and clueful doctors.

Our health centre here is also brilliant, they offload a lot of routine work onto nurses and have various specialist clinics including a phlebotomist on site.
 
Don't get me wrong, I've been with the same doctor for 30+years and I'm very fond of him. In addition, he copes with me and my opinionated ways very well and the DSN is a darling.I think it's the non-medical staff who sometimes let them down. Mind you the phlebotomist who come to the health Centre from the hospital is terrible. she's failed to get blood from me a couple of times and once sent me home to come bacck another day after 4 failed attempts, which left me black and blue. no wonder I'm treking over half the county to Newbury. I went there for an X-ray once and was just as pleased with the treatment.
 
Hi Hana,
heres the question, what when taking blood for annual screening, should they be checking for?
Andrews due his big blood test on 3/2 taken from either the inside elbow or back of hand, the nurse puts magic cream on both to make it as painfree as possible. I recently asked what they annually checked for and she said, just coeliac disease (which he already has) and thyroid. I've asked for a full screening including anemia ( Andrews just recovered from flu, & is still tired and pale) and insulin resistance, she said they'll just take an extra ml to do this. What other results should it cover? Btw when they check his Habc 1, this is just done by a finger prick of blood and put through a machine that takes 6 mins for results, yet adults have theres done through a vein, so is this really accurate,and whats the difference, its done every 3 mths.
Thanks Hana i know you'll answer best you can, hope the family are well
Suzi x
 
I'm trying to remember what was ticked on my form. HbA1c, lipid panelLDL and HDL cholesterol. kidney function, liver function and thyroid I think. I'm not sure how many of those apply to childresn. the kidney function and liver function probably.
My GP doesn't have an Hb A1c machine. I've just got all the advertising material for the doctor. I will hand it to the nurse net week. I always go with a file of papers, mainly on dietary stuff.
 
I'm another one with really deep veins and I dread having blood taken by anyone other than my DSN, who always gets it right first time. The rest of them treat me like a pin cushion!
 
hanadr said:
Hi LGC
Where is your health Centre?
I'm thinking mine, although the people are lovely, needs a shake up
Click to expand...

I'm with the Burdwood Surgery in Thatcham.

They seem very good - clued up and forward thinking with a good computer system.
They also seem very 'diabetic aware' and the diabetic nurse is very nice (and good with needles and stuff as well).

I think it is a post code lottery with surgeries as with many other things but when you need specialist care for an ongoing condition like diabetes it is worth shopping around if you are not getting help and support. This assumes, of course, that you have more than one surgery/GP to go to.

We may be moving some time this year, and if so I will miss the local health care - Newbury area seems to be pretty good. I am not looking forward to finding a new medical team because I like the one I have got. I even have an NHS dentist!

Cheers

LGC
 
With Newbury hospital for blood tests, I'm Ok with my health Centre, but I pay private insurance for the dentist.
 
I have had my blood taken plenty, but also take blood frequntly. The thing I notice from those that are good and bad is this: Those that take time to feel for the best vein are better than those who look for one. In practice too, I have learn't that the best ones are not always the most visable, but then saying that, I only take blood from pregnant women, whose veins tend to be at their juiciest anyway!! I do love it though when you get someone who starts with, 'they always have trouble', then you get it first time and when you say, 'It's all done', they are suprised, as they hadn't realised you'd started. I'm a bit of a vampire actually, I love taking blood.

In A&E the other night, I was told, as she was attempting to take blood by siting a venflon, that my vein had 'exploded'!! Now I wasn't bothered, but saying that could scare the **** out of someone else.
 
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