Ever have the spike come out from a hanging bag of blood?

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · May 1, 2013

I have never heard of that happening. It is possible that you didn't have the spike in there far enough and it is also possible that the bag was faulty. Perhaps when you spiked the bag it caused it to tear or something, causing the spike to fall right out.

I can only imagine what that looked like.

Billy_Ruben · May 1, 2013

I tend to think I didn't spike it well enough and my co-workers were just trying to make me feel a bit less stupid. I work with an awesome supportive team. Several stopped what they were doing (and we were getting slammed) to help me clean up. Love them.

OCNRN63, RN · May 1, 2013

Not me personally, but yes, I have seen that happen. Saw it happen with chemo, too. It's nice that your co-workers were being supportive. Be grateful for that.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 1, 2013

happened to me once. Lab determined that bag was contaminated -maybe a pinpoint hole had allowed bacteria build-up. Popped like a balloon.

Guests · May 1, 2013

It has happened to me, almost exactly as described.

I spiked the blood as I always do but when I reached up to squeeze the bulb to prime the line, the spike popped out of the bag and blood shot all over the place.

Of course, the helicopter crew was only minutes out. When they came strolling in, I'm standing there with blood splattered all over the place saying, "It's *clean* blood, it's clean."

I've never met anybody else who's had this happen to them.

Billy_Ruben · May 1, 2013

Nice to know it hasn't only happened to me.

Blindsided · May 1, 2013

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm having a good laugh. Thank you :yes: I can just imagine the mess! Made me think of something I pulled once that involved a large fresh plant, with a ton of dirt, a bedside table, and a tub of bath water! Oh it was a terrible muddy mess, but I laugh about it still.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 1, 2013

I had this happen once and like an idiot I tried to put it back in while the bag was still hanging.

Cold, sticky blood running down your arm and into your axilla is not the way to start a shift.

And just to show you how really dumb I was that year, about a month later I tried to do the same thing with a bottle (we had bottles then) of TPN. Cold, sticky, AND smelly. :arghh:

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · May 1, 2013

I was using a blood warmer once and couldn't figure out why the blood wasn't flowing out. I was squeezing the bag and it just wouldn't come. I finally figured out I clamped the blood at the bottom. Unfortunately I hadn't stopped squeezing when I unclamped it.

Atleast I was covered in warm blood. The patient laughed at me and then asked if she could have a new bag since so much went on me. Haha.

westieluv · May 1, 2013

Not quite the same scenario, but once when I was a brand new nurse I spiked a 3,000 ml bag of TPN and poked the spike right through the other side of the bag. I was scared stiff because I had been told how expensive that stuff is, so I actually tried to mend it with tape...as if that would hold back the weight of 3,000 ml of hanging TPN. Pharmacy sent up a new bag, I notified my supervisor fully expecting to have to pay for the TPN, and I never heard anything about it again. I still wonder, twenty years later, if the hospital ate the cost on that or what.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 1, 2013

I have done it in a trauma using a pressure bag....talk about a crime scene..... :eek: .

Yes it happens...... thankfully not that often!!!!!!!

Welcome to the club!