Venepuncture Aftercare
What to expect when having your blood taken
Getting your blood drawn is a straightforward clinical procedure performed by our experienced and competent healthcare professionals.
While we understand that there may be challenging instances in obtaining blood from a patient, there are steps you can take to facilitate the process.
1. Try to relax – this might sound like a tall order, especially if you are uncomfortable with needles. Adrenaline (which triggers our fight or flight response) is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it constricts your blood vessels, making them a smaller target for our phlebotomists.
2. Drink plenty of water – underfilled veins are smaller and collapse more easily. Staying hydrated will provide an easier draw.
3. Let our practitioner know if you are needle phobic, are experiencing any unusual symptoms at or during the blood draw, or have previously fainted during a blood draw.
What to expect after the procedure
Common and self-limiting symptoms following a blood draw are:
- º Mild pain or discomfort in the affected arm
- º A small amount of localised bruising or swelling
- º A small amount of localised redness
- º A small amount of bleeding which is stemmed easily with light pressure
- º Feeling faint. This might happen immediately during or following the procedure. Let your practitioner know, and place your head between your knees. If you are on a flat surface, you may want to lie down with your feet above your head.
Rare complications of the procedure are:
Arterial puncture – this would present as a continuous bleed which is difficult to halt, or a large or pulsatile swelling. Our practitioner will be able to manage this with first aid, and assess the need for further intervention.
Nerve damage – on rare occasions the nerves in the surrounding area may become damaged, leading to persistent pain. This typically occurs at the time of the draw, and advice can be sought from our practitioners.
Ally Health takes pride in providing high-quality at-home phlebotomy services, however our service does not provide medical advice. Symptoms which may indicate an alternative diagnosis unrelated to the blood draw, include, but are not limited to:
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- º Chest pain
- º Jaw pain
- º Shortness of breath
- º Headache
- º Temperature
- º Non-blanching rash
- º Loss of consciousness or seizures-home services