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Original poster

After having had the morning from hell at the hospital, is there any way to make blood tests on children easier?

30 replies

Aimsmum · 02/03/2007 13:47

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Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 02/03/2007 14:01

My dd has lots of blood tests aimsmum. She's 13 now so knows that if she just sits and looks the other way it's done quicker. Magic cream doesn't work on her either, plus she has rubbish veins. When she had her last surgery we were in the anaesthetic room for almost half an hour with alternate hot/cold compresses on her hands trying to get her line in.

At your dd's age it is very difficult I think. Too young to understand fully but too big to easily hold down and just get it done. If you have to go again it may be worth asking if there's a play therapist who can help. A children's hospital should have them available. They often use dolls and soft toys to play 'taking blood' with. Maybe get a syringe from your chemist and let her practice by pretending to take your blood. Failing that distraction and bribery.

Good luck and I hope the tests come back OK.

Pamina · 02/03/2007 14:05

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Hassled · 02/03/2007 14:06

My DD's had bad experiences with "Magic cream" as well. I think the bribery technique is a good idea - and just explain things as much as you possibly can so she understands why this is all happening. It was all new and scary for her today - may not seem quite so bad next time. You could explain about having blood taken while pregnant with her and how important that was to check nothing was wrong etc. so she knows you know what its like, IFSWIM.

expatinscotland · 02/03/2007 14:13

They don't give a numbing injection first?

They do in the US. The jab barely hurts, as it's not intramuscular, and it is NUMB. You feel ZIP, not even for an IV.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 02/03/2007 14:20

Oh no expat - they prefer the 'pin em down' method here.

Hard as nails my dd. Well she is now.

Original poster
Aimsmum · 02/03/2007 14:21

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becaroo · 02/03/2007 14:24

God, I feel for you. Have been there more times that I care to remember and will be again on 5th April....
My ds 93.5) has had to have blood tests done on a fairly regular basis since birth and it doesnt get any easier.
Last year he had to have an emergency groin repair and it took seven adults (inc. me sobbing hysterically) to hold him down.
A few weeks ago it only took four of us so maybe things are getting better!
No tips I'm afraid, but we dont do the "magic cream" thing...ds seems allergic to it and we just feel it better to use the numbing spray and get it over with as quickly as possible...for him and for us!
Good luck.

Kbear · 02/03/2007 14:24

I spent my childhood having blood tests every six months. Screamed the place down the first few times then it dawned on me that it doesn't actually hurt that much, it's more fear than pain.

I suggest you sit down with your DD, talk about how awful it was for both of you, tell her it's going to be a regular thing and you need to come up with a plan together to stop it being so scary.

Maybe a trip back to the blood test place before her next one so she can see how many people go in and don't come out crying so therefore it can't be THAT bad? maybe. aww, it's as hard to you as for her but I honestly thing some grown up conversations about it might help her deal with it. I hope so.

SlightlyMadScientist · 02/03/2007 14:28

A long shot - but when DTD2 was worrie about me having blood taken (totally different thing I know) I explained that they had to take the blood to teh hospital to see if mummy was OK - it was either my blood that had to got to the hospital or mummy. She was much happier that my blood could go to teh hospital instead of me. Long shot but if you are looking for bribary - might help a little bit physcologically ifnot physically.

Original poster
Aimsmum · 02/03/2007 14:32

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Polgara2 · 02/03/2007 14:41

Agree about the magic cream being absolutely rubbish! When dd1 had to have blood taken we decided to go for the numbing spray to make it quicker (apart from the cream being rubbish the time you have to wait for it to 'work' just makes them agitated). She sat on my knee while one nurse took the blood and another one held a huge book in front of her (something like wheres wally I think) and kept her attention on looking for him in the book. She was still aware but it DID help! Prior to that dd2 had had the magic cream, pinning down experience and I didn't want to do that again ever!!!

Original poster
Aimsmum · 02/03/2007 15:15

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Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 03/03/2007 12:41

Aimsmum

Have a look at this. Sandy starfish - a preschoolers book about outpatients visit and bloods tests, colouring page and parents tips. It's from a link on India Knight's blog.

becklespeckle · 03/03/2007 12:47

numbing cream or spray? my outpatients didn't offer anything to my DS (3.5 at the time) they just did it. I told him the band they put round your arm to make the veins come up was to test his muscles! He was so busy being told how good he was he didn't notice the needle.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 03/03/2007 12:48

no advice accept if you are ever offered the cold spray instead refuse it and take the cream. the spray does not work.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 03/03/2007 12:49

christ! except even!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 03/03/2007 12:49

I think the only real way to get used to it is by exposure really, IME.

DD has had a few blood tests, its more difficult as she has got older (she is 3.10 yrs).

Yesterday she was really really good when having a local anaesthetic injected into her hand and finger, after having the anaesthetic spray on her hand (didnt work).

It must have been agony for her because it was so they could wash and clean her poor finger that she had trapped in a car door, and ripped the nailbed up and broken the tip of her finger. They usually do that under GA.

But, we spend quite a bit of time going back and forth to hospital and doctors for various things for her (and me) so she is used to it, and whilst she knows it might hurt, she seems to understand that it is for a good reason.

Original poster
Aimsmum · 03/03/2007 16:34

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lulabelle · 04/03/2007 07:46

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Madoldcatlady · 04/03/2007 10:15

DD1 (now 12) has had regular blood tests since she was 4. To begin with it was difficult. She had to be restrained by me. As she got bigger and stronger she was restrained my me and a nurse, then me and 2 nurses, then me ,2 nurses and a playtherapist!! (she was only 7 or 8 but fought like a wild cat)

At that point enough was enough. It was dangerous, the doctor refused to do it any more as the needle could have gone into anyone of us during the struggle.
The doc decided to sedate her from that point on. Oral medication that made her go to sleep was given. It worked a treat and she didn't know anything about it, but I was unhappy at having to take such drastic steps that involved being admitted to hospital for a whole day.

I threw the towel in and told DH that I couldn't do it any more and handed the job over to him. As if by magic DD went to the path lab, no cream on hands, no restraint or sedative and had the blood test done by a phlebotomist!!!

I don't know what the moral of my story is, other than, I think me and DD had got into the habit of getting stressed and anxious about the whole thing and expected there to be problems, where as DH was very matter of fact about it all and there was no drama.Now she will have it done with me, and whilst she doesn't enjoy it there is never a problem.

Original poster
Aimsmum · 04/03/2007 11:50

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Chandra · 04/03/2007 12:04

No idea about the cream, but bribery works wonders. We also tell DS about the visit to the hopital/doctor, a very rough and superficial information about what is going to happen and why they are doing the tests, and don't mention the injections until just before they do them. Not seeing the needle makes the things less difficult and don't focus on the pain (we noticed that telling him about that and pain was only making the process more difficult and therefore more painful)

Chandra · 04/03/2007 12:05

Sorry, guess I need to wake up from my Sunday morning gaza and read the posts properly

Laura032004 · 04/03/2007 20:25

At our hospital they only use the spray for younger patients (DS2 gets it at 8m, DS1 hasn't ever had it and he had his first set of bloods at about 18m). They've said it doesn't work as well on older kids.

Stupid doc tried to insert a cannula for IV antibotics when DS1 was 18m with no cream or spray at all. It took four of us to hold him still and he screamed for ages. He was otherwise virtually unconcious, so it must have hurt him.

DS1 has the cream, and we go with distraction and bribery - bubbles and a bar of chocolate to eat whilst they're doing it. Our hospital also has a play therapist usually who is great at helping. They do the cream, demonstrate on a doll, and then take the cream off. They examine the child pre-cream to work out where the best veins appear to be, so they're not getting them more worked up later on. All of this occurs in a playroom.

Hope next time goes better.

expatinscotland · 04/03/2007 20:27

What an utter pillock excuse for a doctor, Laura .

I've had one of those inserted on me with nothing as an adult and it friggin' HURT.