Can You Draw Blood From Legs

Although much of your study fourth dimension every bit a vet tech student focuses on academic knowledge, there is another type of learning that tin be even more than hard to master: hands-on skills.

The hands-on, technical skills utilized by veterinary technicians require procedural memory. No corporeality of reviewing or flashcards tin can help with procedural retention; these skills are obtained just through practice. Repeating these tasks many, many times is the only way to develop the unconscious "muscle retention" required for easily-on, technical tasks.

Here's a simple, depression-toll technique that you tin use to practice blood draws, using materials that can be found in your abode, workplace, or vet tech school.

Materials needed:

• 4 fluid tubing: extension prepare connected to an empty fluid handbag or a slice of tubing at least several inches long. Used materials are fine, equally long as they did non contain harmful substances.
• Water
• Carmine nutrient coloring
• A broom handle, plastic bottle, paper towel scroll stuffed with newspapers, or other cylindrical shape
• Tape
• Vet wrap or other bandage material
• Syringes

1. Make full the Iv tubing with water and red food coloring, creating a faux "vein."

If you lot have an IV bag attached to a fluid line, inject a small amount of water and several drops of cherry food coloring into the IV handbag. Allow this "blood" to fill the line, using a clench to foreclose leakage.

If yous just take a minor amount of IV tubing available, secure one end with a clamp, knot, or clothespin, fill the tube with "blood," and and then secure the other end of the tube.

2. Apply tape to adhere the "vein" to an object that can serve as your patient'southward "leg."

Any cylindrical object tin can be used for this step. Examples include a broom handle, empty plastic bottle, newspaper towel roll stuffed with newspaper, or any other similarly-shaped object that you lot have bachelor.

Place the "vein" such that it runs along the length of the "leg." Use record to temporarily hold the device together equally yous complete the next step.

3. Wrap the "leg" and "vein" with vet wrap or other bandaging material.

Cover everything with a snug layer of bandaging, so that y'all cannot see the tubing and instead are working blindly by feel. Beginners may wish to start with a thin layer of vet wrap. With exercise, however, you should be able to palpate the "vein" through even thick layers of vet wrap.

4. Use a syringe to practice your blood draw technique.

Stabilize the "leg" with your non-ascendant hand and employ the alphabetize finger of your ascendant hand to feel for the "vein." Adjacent, utilize your dominant hand to hold the syringe and swiftly insert the needle into the "vein." Using a one-handed technique, pull back on the syringe plunger and draw "blood" into your syringe.

If your IV tubing is attached to a fluid bag, you can discard the "claret" afterwards drawing (the tubing will refill from the bag). If yous are using a section of IV tubing that is not connected to a fluid bag, you may wish to re-inject the "blood" earlier removing your needle, giving you multiple exercise opportunities earlier running out of fluid.

With repeated do, you should discover that the motions associated with claret sample drove become gradually easier, and even automatic, over fourth dimension. This exercise will make you better-prepared when information technology's time to draw blood on live patients!

Nearly Cathy Barnette

Cathy Barnette is a practicing small animal veterinarian, freelance writer, and correspondent to XPrep Learning Solutions. She is passionate almost both veterinarian medicine and education, working to provide helpful information to veterinarian teams and the full general public. In her complimentary time, she enjoys spending fourth dimension in nature with her family and leading a Girl Watch troop.

Source: https://blog.vettechprep.com/how-to-practice-blood-draws-for-vet-techs

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