Venipuncture - gauze vs cotton ball

[fozziebear]

Just wondering . . . recently I took a venipuncture course where the RN advised that a gauze "square" was the better choice than applying a cotton "ball" to the site following venipuncture. Her rationale - the loose cotton ball fibers could "inbed" the puncture site causing problems. It made sense to me! In my practice location the nurses are using the cotton balls and when I mentioned it to them they didn't agree. What is the "norm" in other places?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I've never had a cotton ball used on me after a lab draw and I've never used a cotton ball after I perfom a venipuncture. 2x2 with a piece of tape.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I was being facetious.

I should have considered the source, my apologies for not looking to see who wrote that, psu_213. :)

You know how it is around here-- sometimes you really can't tell when somebody is being serious. :)

So now I'm thinking that we should start a thread (!!) on, "It's midnight-- do you know where your cotton ball is?"

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I agree with the others, I think it's absurd, BUT our policy is to use a sterile 2X2 after venipuncture or dc'ing an IV. You have to follow policy!

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

We use cotton balls at my clinic.