Anyone know how many little tubes of blood...

[snowmash]

...will be needed for FBC, ESR, U+Es, CRP, LFTs, TFTs, glucose and lipids?

Just wondering as I'm a pain in the neck to get blood from (butterfly + digging around in hand, usually ending up blowing both thumb veins in desperation), and when I've had the first five lots that seems to take 4-5 tubes.

...but I haven't had bloods done at my GP's before, so trying to work out the best way to ask who's good with a butterfly .

[Seems a lot of blood tests too, but I suppose I can ask about that]

I had about that many tests done a couple of months ago and if it wasn't two, it was three; not as many as I thought.

2-3?

Thanks both.

3

get the nurse to do it, they are usually better than doctors ime

once the cannula is in then you shouldn't notice it, filling the vacutainers is the painless bit

it depends how big the vacutainers are as to how many they take

My GP surgery now has a phlebotomist' clinic 3 mornings a week. It's very quick and efficient. Maybe yours has a visiting blood-letter?

Thanks TheFoosa - I only notice it when they are wiggling it because the blood's stopped (I have 3 sclerosed veins in my hands at the moment, so need to keep the rest).

Sorry to tell you this, but this will be 5 bottles, at least at my clinic.

FBC -1; ESR-1; U+Es, CRP, LFTs and lipids - 1; TFTs- 1; glucose - 1.

Drink as much water as you can before you go!

But you can drink water if fasting lipids and glucose.

featherblue is right, it will be 5 vials.

Butterflies are usually easier than a needle. If they are still stuggling could they try your foot? Veins here are usually good and chunky around the ankle. At least 3 bottles, not sure about ESR or TFT.

Thanks all - particularly for the water tip, which I forget sometimes (despite remembering random ones like using a blood pressure cuff as a tourniquet).

I need to check if they're fasting, but I imagine they will be (jumping the gun a bit as it's a letter a consultant has written to my GP, but round here they seem to cc letters to patients a lot).

USoRight Definitely agree about butterflies...I do usually try and say about that (if nothing else, because I ended up going to three different phlebotomy departments before I got my Occ Health bloods for uni done some years ago).

Is having blood taken from your foot as irritating as having a cannula in there? (I know the place you mean I think).

I think the foot is less sensitive than the hands. The crook of the elbow is not too bad. Hands and on the wrist are painful I think. I've put venflons (cannula) in feet because of poor veins, or collapsed veins. A vein is just a vein and if it is accessible I dont see why not. I did work in A&E at the time, and you would probably get look in a GP practice. Phlebotomists are usually the best, after the anaesthetists (they can cannulate fleas)

Blah, no chance :( Despite all my not so subtle hints re: equipment, previous experiences (used to see the practice nurse who did chemo patients' bloods) and my veins.

I am to go back next week to see her colleague who is 'good at this sort of thing' Oh, and are these bloods important?

(not at her colleague, more why couldn't we come to this conclusion before blowing one of my precious thumb veins).

(USoRight, I definitely salute anaesthetists...only people who have ever got pink and green cannulas in me ).