Need answers from nurses dealing with blood draws and bp with mastectomy pts

[cafecreme]

I tried the oncology board for a response and got none, not many hits there. Question is: Where do you draw blood from a patient or do blood pressures, if they have had bilateral mastecomies? Also, if they have horrible veins on their non-affected sides( mastecomy only on one side), do any oncologists state you can draw blood only (no BP) from affected side. If not then where do you go on them to get blood. I know the fear is lymphedema, which is very painful for them. If any of you nurses that deal with cancer patients alot and especially breast cancer , would you respond please. Thank You.

[TazziRN, RN]

In the ER we stay away from the unilateral side, but if it's bilat then we go wherever we can, as distal as we can. I've gotten BP's on the forearms of bilats of less than 5 years. After 5 years I don't worry about it unless the pt does have lymphedema.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

In the clinic I always used a thigh cuff for BP's in the case of bilat. mastectomy. I didn't draw blood so cannot help with that.