Saf-t-intima and blood draws

[kmoonshine, RN]

Anyone know how to draw labs off of an IV start using the saf-t-intima IV catheters? I looked on the BD website, but didn't find any info.

All of the nurses I work with shy away from using the intimas because they aren't comfortable using them. Therefore, everyone I work with has no clue how to use a vacutainer with it to draw labs.

Any insight would be much appreciated. I like using the intimas when I'm attempting a venipuncture at an odd angle. We mainly use angiocaths, but those can be so messy sometimes (at least for me; I threw an 18g in the AC the other night for a GI bleed patient, and despite using tamponade I had blood gushing out when switching from the vacutainer to the connector tubing). I want to decrease the risk of blood exposure as much as possible, and the intima's closed system catheter sounds great; anyone know how to put it into practice?

[sambagrrl]

We use the BD saf-t-intima IV's all the time at my facility and agree it is much less messy than the angiocaths. Using the y-connector version, once you see blood return, remove the needle by securing down butterfly with left thumb (or tape) and pulling the white thick tube down. Then I just kink the thin tube (with thumb and forefinger, or with the lock that's already there) to prevent blood from running out while I switch to vacutainer and tube. Unkink and get the blood, and finally attach luerlock & connector tubing using the same method. its super simple once you get used to it and I now feel more comfortable doing it this way than with angios any day.

[kmoonshine, RN]

Thanks for replying sambagrrl! I'll try your method out when I work next.

[loricatus]

We use the BD saf-t-intima IV's all the time at my facility and agree it is much less messy than the angiocaths. Using the y-connector version, once you see blood return, remove the needle by securing down butterfly with left thumb (or tape) and pulling the white thick tube down. Then I just kink the thin tube (with thumb and forefinger, or with the lock that's already there) to prevent blood from running out while I switch to vacutainer and tube. Unkink and get the blood, and finally attach luerlock & connector tubing using the same method. its super simple once you get used to it and I now feel more comfortable doing it this way than with angios any day.

Try attaching the vacutainer before insertion, it's a lot easier that way. After insertion, attach the tube(s). Then: the remove the vacutainer, (after clamping the line), on a piece of gauze and attach the flush syringe (pre-attach the luerlock on the flush syringe). Flush (unclamp first), reclamp, unscrew the syringe leaving the luerlock. No need to kink the tubing this way.