Refusing blood test for 3 week old

[StillinShockAhhhhhhh]

My dd had been going to hospital for blood tests regularly since she was 5 days old due to low sodium levels have had various threads about this in last few weeks. Every time we take her the Drs struggle to collect blood and she ends up with various needle marks and bruises on hands feet elbows and legs the hospital are unsure what they are testing for and purely 'monitoring' her levels at the moment. She does not appear unwell and all her other blood tests.blood pressure oxygen says are normal. What would happen if I refuse any further tests unless she begins to feel unwell? On numerous occasions we have had to have the test redone after 5 attempts to withdraw blood as the lab wernt satisfied with the quality and could not test the levels at the moment

Ok, I'm a midwife. Not an expert in sodium levels though.

However one thing has stood out. People should not be squeezing the foot in order to do a heel prick. It's poor technique often caused by crap equipment.

I used to do it as our equipment was crap and the foot didn't bleed. We've now moved over to Tenderfoot (brand name) and believe me the blood flows freely ok. It slices rather than doing a puncture. Sounds horrific but it isn't and it's got to be better than repeated venepuncture I've seen Paeds when failing to get blood resort to Tenderfoot for sodium or bilirubin levels and not known samples be returned.

I'd be asking about this.

Is it an a&e consultant or an actual paed trying to get the blood? I'd want a paed and Id want either a reg or a senior sho......they're more likely to take blood every day rather than a consultant!

And ask for a plan. How long will they want to carry on if levels remain stable? Ask them what they feel possible consequences of not testing are?

Viva - they use Tenderfoot at our hospital (did a google image search!) and still had to squeeze and/or scrape each drop. Was for different reasons though and needed what looked like quite a bit.

And I agree with Viva (as I mentioned above) our paed registrars are much better than anyone else at getting blood from babies. Now at early 18 months we go to the phlebotomists but still wait for the paeds expert nurse.

She was seen in a and e originally now various paediatricians depending on who is on shift. If they don't have this different type of heel prick thing what can I do?

If they don't have any Id see if you can purchase some yourself?? Ring the postnatal ward and ask if they have them? Insist they get some? Dunno, but I feel for you. I've just been googling to see if you can buy a small amount for a reasonable price and can't find any.

I went to a Tenderfoot training session the other day and they were saying that midwives must never squeeze the foot as it can cause blood cells to be compressed or something and the lab may reject the sample for the heelprick test. Trainer was saying in the unlike,y event blood isn't free flowing you need to do it again rather than squeeze the foot.

Yes, a squeezed heel prick blood sample will be useless for sodium assessment - they need a free-flowing sample.

I think you need to have a conversation with the consultant who is 'in charge' of your baby's care - whether they are the one she sees or not. Ring the secretary and arrange to speak to them, whether in person or on the phone.

Good luck - I hope today is a good day

I have been following your other threads, have they told you why they are monitoring? Or what they are concerned about? I think if you had more knowledge you would feel more empowered,no-one wants their baby to have blood tests & it must have been very hard to watch them have to redo it & redo it. But they would only be doing them if they need to & they are possibly still looking for something. I would tell the hospital how the HV made you feel/what she said & get them to write a message in your babies red book (If you have that system where you are).

Try & have a conversation with the consultant about how often they are going to test? How can we make sure the sample is correct? & ask apart from the low sodium levels is there anything else that you should be told they are thinking this could be?

You want to stay under their care as long as possible, but you also must allow yourself to be taken care of & talk to someone GP? About the first few weeks of your babies life & how stressful it has been.

Thinking of you.

So sorry you are going through this and agree with others about it being important they keep monitoring your child. Agree that you need to ask for a plan and ask for a senior reg or someone experienced to do bloods. Also feel free to ask for specific members of staff not to do it if possible if they have had numerous failed attempts. Try and go for the tests after a feed so there is good hydration and make sure the limb is warm. Agree re tenderfoot. It's horrible seeing your child go through this and I am so sore eye you but it's essential. Good luck!

Re bloods sometimes they can use dopplers to help find the veins or uv lights on tiny babies - - would be worth asking for x

Houseofnerds - of course if nurses are taking blood they should know what it is for! I would never take bloods without knowing what it was for. Times have moved on since we were simply doctors hand maidens!!

It's not A nurse that takes the blood at dds hospital it is always a Dr, they manage to get the cannula into the vein but can't seem to get the blood to flow, it's just so frustrating we manage to keep her calm and distracted the first two attempts but by the end of the appointment she resembles a beetroot

Blood taken by heel prick again as doctor adamant it's the labs fault foot was squeezed AGAIN and attempted from both heels now just waiting to hear results

Blood tests in normal range, no more tests woohoo!!!!!!

Wah-hey!!
Congratulations!
What a relief for you. And your DD

Can hopefully get some perspective back now and not come out with anymore stupid ideas like refusing blood tests

HURRAH

Thank you all such a relief knowing we don't have to go back anymore!