Phil the New Phlebotomy Tech is choosing a vein for a venipuncture site; he has found a thick, straight, vein on the right arm. Phil observes that the vein tends to roll away when palpated, feels hard, and lacks resiliency. He removes the tourniquet from the right arm and begins to assess the left. Why did Phil not use the thick, straight vein on the right arm?
Explanation
Answer: D - After using his sense of touch, during his assessment, Phil correctly determined the unsuitability of the right arm vein. Because the vein felt hard, lacked resiliency and rolled away, the vein is probably thrombosed, and will be a difficult draw. Using palpitation to feel the consistency of the vein, movement of vein, as well as size, is part of venipuncture site assessment.
