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Dear All It has taken a long time for the Vacutainer "problem" to reach the surface but ... I have had blood taken 5 times in the last year or so, twice by Phlebotomists, twice by SpRs and once by a Practice Nurse. Only the last used a Vacutainer "syringe" to actually do the job, the rest used the "easy" way! No names no packdrill! I have very good veins too. I used to teach phlebotomy to new sisters and phlebotomists plus doing a year on a Phase 1 Drug Trial Unit on redundancy and I am afraid it all comes down to the design of the Vacutainer "syringe"and the quality of its needle. Compared to "classic" needles and 10ml and greater syringes the vacutainer syringe is awful. So the blood gets taken using an "ordinary" syringe and needle and then the blood gets "sucked" out of the syringe into the vacutainer vessels through the needle. I imagine that the amount of haemolysis varies inversely with a function of the needle bore. All it needs is a total redesign! End of story. Henry Chandler Long retired ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Shine" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 8:36 AM Subject: Re: Haemolysis and different phlebotomy systems (A+E) > We decided to have a look at what was happening at our smaller A&E where > up to a third of specimens had visible haemolysis. Strangely, on the day > our SpR was in the department, we had no haemolysed specimens. We > haven't been able to identify the problem, but we guess that it is to do > with syringe and needle use. > > Our junior doctors say that they prefer using syringe and needles to the > BD system. > > Best wishes, > Brian > > Brian Shine > Consultant Chemical Pathologist > John Radcliffe Hospital > Oxford OX3 9DU > Telephone: 01865 220 475 > Fax: 01865 220 348 > > On 15 Feb 2008, at 17:05, Mainwaring-Burton Richard (RGZ) wrote: > >> I concur, and spend significant effort trying to get docs not to stick >> needles into the top of BD vacutainers. Unfortunately replacing a >> removed >> top generates positive pressure which blows out the lid in transit. >> >> I blame the combination of Venflon soft tips and vacutainer vacuum >> levels >> for the levels of haemolysis in A&E samples, but proving it is >> difficult. >> Anyone for audit ? I have a template. >> Have a gd w/e >> >> with best wishes >> Richard >> Richard Mainwaring-Burton >> Consultant Biochemist >> Queen Mary's Hospital >> Sidcup, Kent >> 020-8308-3084 >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Jonathan Kay [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >> Sent: 15 February 2008 13:33 >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: Re: Haemolysis and different phlebotomy systems (A+E) >> >> Do your ED staff always use them as Vacutainers, or do they sometimes >> load them from syringes and needles? Ours often do the latter. >> >> Jonathan >> >> On 15 Feb 2008, at 12:36, Robert Lord wrote: >> >>> We currently use BD vacutainer system for phlebotomy and have >>> relativley high rates of haemolysis using this system in A+E. I >>> would be interested to hear from users of the Sarstedt Monovette >>> system as to whether sample haemolysis is an issue with them. Many >>> thanks. >>> >>> Rob >>> >>> >>> This message has been scanned for viruses by BlackSpider >>> MailControl - www.blackspider.com >>> >>> ------ACB discussion List Information-------- >>> This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical >>> community working in clinical biochemistry. >>> Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed >>> via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and >>> they are responsible for all message content. >>> ACB Web Site >>> http://www.acb.org.uk >>> List Archives >>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html >>> List Instructions (How to leave etc.) >>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ >> >> ------ACB discussion List Information-------- >> This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical >> community working in clinical biochemistry. >> Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed >> via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and >> they are responsible for all message content. >> ACB Web Site >> http://www.acb.org.uk >> List Archives >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html >> List Instructions (How to leave etc.) >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ >> >> ------ACB discussion List Information-------- >> This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical >> community working in clinical biochemistry. >> Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed >> via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and >> they are responsible for all message content. >> ACB Web Site >> http://www.acb.org.uk >> List Archives >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html >> List Instructions (How to leave etc.) >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ > > ------ACB discussion List Information-------- > This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical > community working in clinical biochemistry. > Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed > via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and > they are responsible for all message content. > ACB Web Site > http://www.acb.org.uk > List Archives > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html > List Instructions (How to leave etc.) > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ > ------ACB discussion List Information-------- This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and they are responsible for all message content. ACB Web Site http://www.acb.org.uk List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/