lightNlife
New member
When I'm just flushing the line (monthly) and checking for blood return, I use a 1-inch 22 gauge needle.
When I'm on IVs I use a 3/4 in. 22 gauge needle. However, there is one caveat. I <b>NEVER</b> use it for blood work anymore for 3 main reasons
1. My port is now 10 years old and the material it's made of has always caused inaccurate readings in my bloodwork. (Tobra peak and trough levels were highly skewed EVERY time)
2. Because it's old, it has developed a lot of filamentous tissue on the end of it. The nurses tend to draw back on it too heavily with the plunger syringe and that sucks that filament into the line making it seem blocked, even though it's not. Another thing that can happen if they draw too heavily is that the tubing pulls down on itself from the vacuum. It's like when you suck really hard on a straw in a thick milkshake and the straw collapses.
3. I've had nurses who have been taught in the last few years that heparin is no longer necessary to use before closing off the line. I've been in the ER twice to have "clot buster" added to my line because it got blocked by some blockhead nurse who refused to add heparin even when I insisted upon it. Because heparin is usually under lock and key with other prescriptions, some nurses can't be "bothered" to go back and go through the necessary procedure to procure 3 ccs of heparin and would rather just use saline.
I don't mind getting needle poked in my arm for labwork. My veins can usually handle that. It's when they're exposed to all those heavy duty drugs ongoing that they blow or infiltrate, which is why I use the port.
Ask your nurses who draw bloodwork to just be patient and not force it. If you've got good blood return, you're golden, even if it takes awhile to get enough return for a decent sample. Patience, patience patience. Treat it nicely and you'll be VERY glad in the long run. I sure am!
Oh, and as far as the tenderness goes, I have a stuffed animal (Dorothy) that I tuck next to me when my port is accessed to keep from rolling so far over that put pressure on the site.
Good luck!
When I'm on IVs I use a 3/4 in. 22 gauge needle. However, there is one caveat. I <b>NEVER</b> use it for blood work anymore for 3 main reasons
1. My port is now 10 years old and the material it's made of has always caused inaccurate readings in my bloodwork. (Tobra peak and trough levels were highly skewed EVERY time)
2. Because it's old, it has developed a lot of filamentous tissue on the end of it. The nurses tend to draw back on it too heavily with the plunger syringe and that sucks that filament into the line making it seem blocked, even though it's not. Another thing that can happen if they draw too heavily is that the tubing pulls down on itself from the vacuum. It's like when you suck really hard on a straw in a thick milkshake and the straw collapses.
3. I've had nurses who have been taught in the last few years that heparin is no longer necessary to use before closing off the line. I've been in the ER twice to have "clot buster" added to my line because it got blocked by some blockhead nurse who refused to add heparin even when I insisted upon it. Because heparin is usually under lock and key with other prescriptions, some nurses can't be "bothered" to go back and go through the necessary procedure to procure 3 ccs of heparin and would rather just use saline.
I don't mind getting needle poked in my arm for labwork. My veins can usually handle that. It's when they're exposed to all those heavy duty drugs ongoing that they blow or infiltrate, which is why I use the port.
Ask your nurses who draw bloodwork to just be patient and not force it. If you've got good blood return, you're golden, even if it takes awhile to get enough return for a decent sample. Patience, patience patience. Treat it nicely and you'll be VERY glad in the long run. I sure am!
Oh, and as far as the tenderness goes, I have a stuffed animal (Dorothy) that I tuck next to me when my port is accessed to keep from rolling so far over that put pressure on the site.
Good luck!