Drawing Blood Through Your Child's Central Line Using a Syringe



Using a central line to draw blood is a safe, easy way to draw blood samples needed to diagnose and treat your child.  This handout explains how you can safely do this once you go home.  For young infants, flushing volumes may vary.  Please talk with your doctor, nurse, or nurse practitioner.

 

Supplies

• Gloves
• Angel Wing Transfer Device
• 2-3 5 mL syringes
• 1-2 10 mL syringe(s) of saline or ______ mL, as specified
• blood tubes for samples (color depends on orders)
• new safe-site valve
• 1 cap for end of line
• 1 5mL syringe of heparinized saline or _______ mL, as specified

 

Steps   Before going home, a nurse will show you how you can safely do these steps once you are home.

 

1. Wash your hands and put on the gloves. 

2. Using sterile technique, with central line clamped, remove the cap and attach the empty 5 mL syringe to the safe-site valve.

 

 

3. Unclamp catheter and pull back on the syringe to draw 3 mL of "waste" blood into the syringe.  This will remove the heparinized saline that is in the catheter.

 

 

4. Clamp the catheter and remove the "waste" syringe and attach a new 5 mL syringe.

5. Unclamp the catheter and pull back on the syringe to draw the amount of blood needed to fill the blood tube.

• If blood does not flow into the tube:  Flush the line through the safe-site valve with 10 mL of saline.  Then, repeat steps 1 through 5.  If there is still no blood flow, contact your doctor or nurse.

 

6. Clamp the catheter and repeat step 5 if more than 5 mL of blood is needed to fill the blood tubes.

7. When finished, clamp the line and remove the syringe.

8. Flush the line through the safe-site valve with 10 mL of normal saline (or _____ mL) followed by 5 mL of heparinized saline (or _____ mL)

 

 

9. After flushing, if you can see blood in the safe-site valve, remove the valve and replace with a new one.

 

 

10. Place a new sterile cap on valve.

 

 

11. Remove cap from angel wing transfer device.  Attach the syringe filled with blood.

 

 

12. Push the blood tube onto the inner needle of the angel wing transfer device.  Blood should automatically fill tube.  Blood will not fully fill the tube.   This is normal.  Do not try to push more blood into the tube.

 

 

13. When blood flow stops, attach next blood tube.  If more than 5 ml of blood is needed always attach the syringe of blood to the angel wing before attaching the blood tube.

14. When finished, put the angel wing device and all the syringes into a plastic needle disposal box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Last Updated: 04/02/2010

Copyright © 04/02/2010 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #5888

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