Backflow into vein in venipuncture

[Communitynurse365]

Question!

I have been doing community blood draws for a while. Today, when I tried to draw a very sick ladies blood it flowed verrrrry slow into vacutainer (and then eventually stopped). This was a good ac vein. When I tried to move it slightly, the blood back flowed into her arm from the tube. Her arm was down and the tube was facing right where (Gravity was working with blood draw). I am wondering if this is due to poor venous pressure?

Medical history: she is malnourished, chronic alcohol use, hepatitis c.

anyways, just looking for feedback! It was one of weirdest things to see.

i took out needle when I saw it happening but then blood continue to leak out of needle on floor!

Thanks!!

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

You must have had a bad tube! They have a vacuum, that should not happen.

[Communitynurse365]

It seemed to start flowing backwards when I removed tourniquet. Any chance of harm to patient?

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

It was probably a faulty vaccutainer. My first thought though was that you hit a valve.

[brownbook]

How could her own blood flowing back into her vein cause harm? Were you thinking blood clot? It wouldn't flow back through the needle if it were clotted.

[Asystole RN]

How could her own blood flowing back into her vein cause harm? Were you thinking blood clot? It wouldn't flow back through the needle if it were clotted.

The vaccutainers contain various preservatives...things not typically infused into patients.

Doubt there is any chance of serious harm though.

[Asystole RN]

If the tube lost it's vacuum, happens more often than one would think, when the blood flows into the tube it causes the tube to go from a neutral pressure into a positive pressure state. It will continue until the positive pressure overcomes the blood pressure and then it will back flow.

You see this a lot in therapeutic phlebotomies if you use large 500ml evacuated containers (which is a reason why it is not longer recommended.)