Who's done self phlebotomy? Need tips

[unloopme]

It’s quite easy. Tie off your upper arm if you don’t have easy veins to poke. The butterfly needle sits a specific way (wings tilting slightly up) and insert into vein. You only use the clip for preventing back flow when you are done. I engage the clip just before removing the needle.

manual blood pressure cuff is a good option too. go 20mmhg above your systolic and let it bleed after you stick yourself.

Thank you both very very much! Just what I needed!
I'll let you know how it goes today.

At $10 a pop, these bags seem like the ideal solution for anyone that can't donate imho.

edit: Bevel side up on the needle, correct? Quick search answered my own question, for anyone reading this later on, it IS bevel side up.

 

[unloopme]

Welp, big fail.
I was hydrated, taken aspirin, ready to go.

After initially working, the flow stopped pretty quickly. My bil, who is a Dr (surgery assist) helped me. He even flushed me with saline via the port...nothing.

He hasn't drawn blood since being a resident or med school maybe, all he could think was other than a clog at the needle itself, that there was no negative pressure vacuum.

He asked if I was sure about the clip not being engaged until after it had filled, just to remove the needle. I could only say "that's what I read." lol

I have another bag, we wanna try again soon.
Any thoughts or ideas that could help?

edit: just remembered, we only tied off my arm for a minute to find the vein, then removed it almost immediately after the flow started.
Was that wrong?
I had read/seen that a tourniquet should only be on for 45-60 sec max.

 

[lilhawk]

Google phlebotomy kits and buy them. Everything is there in the kit and it is exactly what they use at the doctor's office. It should be a 16 gauge needle in the kit connected to the bag. I use my vein in my antecubital, which is the inside of your elbow basically. Put a tourniquet on your upper arm, when you put the needle in you will get a flash of blood and the bag will start to fill instantly. Once I get the needle in I tape it to my arm so it doesn't move, hang my arm off the bed, and let the bag fill. If the blood stopped flowing you either clogged the needle, or it infiltrated. I work in medical field so it's easy to do to myself, but you should have someone around in case you would happen to pass out as it does happen to people, and always lay down after you get the needle in and blood starts flowing. Once you get the needle in and see a flash of blood then stop, flatten out the angle of the needle and insert it all the way. If you keep going at too much of an angle you will pass through the wall of the vein and you will have to stick yourself again.

 

[unloopme]

Google phlebotomy kits and buy them. Everything is there in the kit and it is exactly what they use at the doctor's office. It should be a 16 gauge needle in the kit connected to the bag. I use my vein in my antecubital, which is the inside of your elbow basically. Put a tourniquet on your upper arm, when you put the needle in you will get a flash of blood and the bag will start to fill instantly. Once I get the needle in I tape it to my arm so it doesn't move, hang my arm off the bed, and let the bag fill. If the blood stopped flowing you either clogged the needle, or it infiltrated. I work in medical field so it's easy to do to myself, but you should have someone around in case you would happen to pass out as it does happen to people, and always lay down after you get the needle in and blood starts flowing. Once you get the needle in and see a flash of blood then stop, flatten out the angle of the needle and insert it all the way. If you keep going at too much of an angle you will pass through the wall of the vein and you will have to stick yourself again.

Thanks for the reply!

We did use a kit. The K-Shield Advantage bag kit. My bro-in-law used the cephalic vein I think, more towards the middle. We'll use the the basilic vein next time.

Here's where I'm confused, do we leave the tourniquet on the whole time?
We removed after the initial spurt into the bag this time.

Thanks for tip about flattening the angle of the needle.

It seems obvious that it clogged, I just don't know what to do differently next time to help avoid this.

 

[malfeasance]

Thanks for the reply!

We did use a kit. The K-Shield Advantage bag kit. My bro-in-law used the cephalic vein I think, more towards the middle. We'll use the the basilic vein next time.

Here's where I'm confused, do we leave the tourniquet on the whole time?
We removed after the initial spurt into the bag this time.

Thanks for tip about flattening the angle of the needle.

It seems obvious that it clogged, I just don't know what to do differently next time to help avoid this.

The K Shield is what I use. It works.

It may be that the needle was not seated all the way down into the vein? I got better at it the more I did it, and I found I was seating it deeper as I did it more, too. The first time you want to barely put it in there because you are squeamish (which is normal).

Use the median cubital vein, also known as the antecubital vein. This is the same place that the Red Cross would use.

As for the angle of the needle, obviously, you need an angle, but once it is in the vein, you don't want to be at an angle, as you want to push it down into the vein. Makes sense, right?

 

[unloopme]

The K Shield is what I use. It works.

It may be that the needle was not seated all the way down into the vein? I got better at it the more I did it, and I found I was seating it deeper as I did it more, too. The first time you want to barely put it in there because you are squeamish (which is normal).

Use the median cubital vein, also known as the antecubital vein. This is the same place that the Red Cross would use.

As for the angle of the needle, obviously, you need an angle, but once it is in the vein, you don't want to be at an angle, as you

I appreciate your input! Thanks man!

It all makes perfect sense. I feel a little more confident about doing it again.
Good thing I ordered 2 bags initially. lol

I'll be sure to post results, maybe it'll help someone like me in the future.

 

[unloopme]

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I hope you guys don't mind me tagging you like this. apologies

The only thing that's still unclear to me is how to properly use the tourniquet in this situation. How long to leave it one before the stick? When do I remove it, before stick, 45 seconds after stick, or some other time interval?

Should I us a soft stress ball to squeeze on during the draw?
I'm trying to leave no stone unturned here. lol

Again, apologies. And much appreciation for the help.

 

[HopHop79]

I hope you guys don't mind me tagging you like this. apologies

The only thing that's still unclear to me is how to properly use the tourniquet in this situation. How long to leave it one before the stick? When do I remove it, before stick, 45 seconds after stick, or some other time interval?

Should I us a soft stress ball to squeeze on during the draw?
I'm trying to leave no stone unturned here. lol

Again, apologies. And much appreciation for the help.

I use whatever is close by (belt, random string from kids, anything really). You just want something to put a squeeze on the arm, and something that can just fall off when you don’t need it

Squeeze ball isn’t needed. Maybe make a fist over and over, but I usually just let everything go on it’s own.

Just get used to doing it. It’s really the only thing that makes it easier to do. Trial and error, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

 

[lilhawk]

I hope you guys don't mind me tagging you like this. apologies

The only thing that's still unclear to me is how to properly use the tourniquet in this situation. How long to leave it one before the stick? When do I remove it, before stick, 45 seconds after stick, or some other time interval?

Should I us a soft stress ball to squeeze on during the draw?
I'm trying to leave no stone unturned here. lol
I leave it on until I get blood flow in the tubing, then I release the tourniquet. I hang my arm down off the side of the bed the whole time until the bag fills.
Again, apologies. And much appreciation for the help.