NEEDLE AND SYRINGE

Needle and syringe Evacuated method is always preferred Needle and syringe can be used when veins are small and difficult

Needle and syringe Disadvantages No additive in syringe so blood will start to clot Will only hold a certain amount of blood Contamination of blood Potential needle stick injury Should also be using a transfer device, cost and availability

Needle and syringe Advantages No vacuum to collapse vein Can obtain exact amounts Good for microcollection

Needle and syringe Consists of a sterile syringe, sterile syringe needle and transfer device

Needle and syringe Needles come in a range of gauges and lengths, as do Vacutainer needles Must be removed safely from syringe before transferring blood This is where a needle stick injury may occur Never transfer blood into a tube by inserting the needle through the tube as this causes haemolysis and can compromise the gel in gel tubes

Needle and syringe Syringes come in various sizes and volumes The largest would usually be 20ml, as they become difficult to hold on to after that and the blood will begin to clot in the syringe The barrel has graduated markings to gauge the amount collected Always have the markings facing upwards so that the amount can be observed

Needle and syringe When preparing syringe, break the seal by pulling the plunger backwards and then expel any excess air Phlebotomist is able to control the speed at which the plunger is pulled back which is an advantage when dealing with difficult veins

Transfer device Must be used when transferring blood from the syringe to the blood tubes Looks like a Vacutainer barrel with one end of the needle attached

Butterflys Winged infusion set Also used for small and difficult veins, especially children Allows flexibility and precision

Butterflys The first tube collected will under fill due to the air in the tubing If the tube contains an additive the blood-to-additive ratio will be affected Draw a few mls of blood into a discard tube first

Butterflys Plastic extensions that look like butterfly wings are attached to the needle This allows the needle to be held from above using thumb and index finger This then can achieve a shallow angle for small veins

Butterflys