He wont bleed....Is there a trick to this?

[dscott76]

Hello everyone I am a third year nursing student and a Patient Care Tech working at an area acute care facility. I have just recently started doing fingersticks and I would like to know is there some type of trick for getting blood from a person who doesnt wanna bleed or if they are on a blood thinner. I have had two instances where I needed the nurses help for a patient that refused to bleed. No matter how much i tried I couldnt get it. Another instance was a patient was on a blood thinner and I could not get enough of a sample to complete the test. I asked my nurse to do it and she was successful but told me it was a trick to it. I never got the opportunity to ask her what it is because I havent worked with this nurse since then....Any tips?????

[belle87RN]

Warming up their fingers or a little finger tip massage to get the blood going. Although the later isn't really recommended. Also make sure you aren't too far off to the side. Sometimes the sides of their fingers won't bleed well. Get it right in that middle space between the pad of the finger and the side of their finger.

[semester1kid]

Yup - messaging...we call it 'milking' the finger. Before you do the finger stick, 'milk' the finger by 'pushing' the blood down the finger towards the finger tip. Perform the finger stick and if necessary, you can continue 'milking' finger, although the intial 'milking' should be enough to where you won't have to continue after the stick.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

I always massage the finger for few seconds and ask for finger preference and I usually stick them on the side of the nail.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Milking the finger works the best. And I dont see how it would be harder when the pt is on bld thinners. Wouldnt that make it easier?

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Have the patient hang their arm down and get some blood trapped in their fingers

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

Milking the finger works the best. And I dont see how it would be harder when the pt is on bld thinners. Wouldnt that make it easier?

True. People who are taking blood thinners are more at risk for bleeding and that's why you never aspirate blood thinner injections.

[CBsMommy]

I will ask the patient to put his arm down toward the floor (if, possible) with finger tips pointing downward. Put a warm washcloth on the finger that you are trying to get a stick from and leave it there for about 30 seconds (while you are getting everything else ready). Then I will also "milk" the finger a couple of times. This method takes a little more time but it hasn't failed me yet!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Milk it like a cow tit. Works every time.

[happy2learn]

Yes, thin blood should make it easier.

I have a bleeding disorder (missing a clotting factor) so nobody should have a problem making me bleed! Just have fun making it stop.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Warming up their fingers or a little finger tip massage to get the blood going. Although the later isn't really recommended. Also make sure you aren't too far off to the side. Sometimes the sides of their fingers won't bleed well. Get it right in that middle space between the pad of the finger and the side of their finger.

Be sure to check agency policy, though. I know it's just a fingerstick but my hospital wants us to do it on the sides of the finger, not right in the middle.

If the fingers are cold, warm them up to increase circulation to the area, such as placing a warm washcloth over the area. If their arm is flexed (and therefore their hand is up), extend it to help bring their hand down - sometimes that helps me. Milking also helps.

[dscott76]

Ok thanks everyone...the patient that was on the blood thinnner's blood ran so much i was unable to get a sample because it wouldnt clot it just ran like water. However I am new to this and hopefully I will get better with practice. Thanks again for everyone's input...it is greatly appreciated.