Has anyone ever had a blood test taken from their foot?

[Yourinmyspot]

I went for my bloods today at the walk in clinic at my GP’s but they couldn’t get any / find a vein as the skin on my arms and hands are pretty much covered bad skin.

They have booked me in tomorrow to get try and get them done with one of the more experienced ones, and said they might have to use my foot but will be painful. I’m not overly bothered but has anyone had a blood test from the foot?

Yes. I have bad veins. Foot was less painful than hand though. Drink lots of water beforehand etc.

I have significant vein issues, vein collapse etc and have had so many blood draws.

If you drink loads of water with electrolytes preferably before. If you want added guarantee, take a hot water bottle and have that on inside of your arm. The inside of elbow in the crease is a good location. A hot water bottle there and drinking water before will puff the vein right up to the surface.

When I was a young child I suffered with low platelets , I have a blood disorder called ITP and when my platelets were too low they struggled to get blood from my veins and my mum said one time she walked in when I was really ill to find the nurses trying to get a drip into my head 😩

This is good to hear. I have one spot/vein on my inner elbow where there’s a really good vein - but apparently it’s “shy” and needs teasing to the surface or something? But because I know this, I always tell the nurse and they always then get the blood first time - but I did always wonder if they roll their eyes at me afterwards for telling them where to try!

Hands, feet, wrists, elbow.

My veins are non-compliant bastards.

Interestingly, the phlebotomists are ace blood hunters at my local hospital, and quite often, because that's ALL they do all day, it doesn't hurt as much. If a doctor approaches me with a needle, I'm like, HELL NO.

They did them in my hand at the hospital a couple of weeks ago after a failed attempt half way down my arm, it didn’t hurt. They did one half way down the other arm at the GP a couple of weeks before that and I had a cracking bruise. Wrist sounds painful.

My skin condition has deteriorated since and I’ve got very little ‘good’ skin on my arms and hands.

I know babies do.

All done, won’t lie it did hurt. She did say it would but got it first try with a butterfly needle. She got someone to help her so she just held the needle steady and the other lady did the bottles. She pressed down on it for a while afterwards and put the plaster on tight to stop any bruising. To be fair the state my arms are in it was probably less sore then using them.

Drink plenty, and keep warm and moving. Hot water bottle on the arms and clenching and unclenching the fists before the appt is good. Get there early if possible, walk around the car park if you're able, and stay warm while you wait.

Foot is very very unpleasant for bloods. You can refuse, and your local hospital may have an ultrasound used for blood tests.

Yes I’ve just had them done, wasn’t a pleasant experience it did hurt but at least they got them so I’m pleased about that.

But the infusion goes into a vein which is on the way back to the heart so no pumping involved. Interesting theory though.......I've cannulated a few feet in my time and taken blood from them. Need to have well supported limb and get yourself in the right position.

Personally I haven’t, I imagine it’ll be painful though. Were you a bit dehydrated today? Plenty of fluids and hopefully tomorrow they get bloods before trying from your foot. I found it really painful getting bloods from my hand for some reason, the pain just seemed much more intense!

an intravenous infusion will get 'pumped around' wherever it's injected. However for some things (for example injecting dye for contrast scans or using drugs like adenosine), getting it in fairly close to the heart is important so that the drug gets distributed to where it needs to be fairly quickly. For average stuff like antibiotics, anti-sickness medication, fluids and all that sort of jazz, it doesn't really matter where the vein is. In anaesthetics we occasionally use feet if we can't use either arm (broken arms/bilateral breast surgery/naff arm veins). In emergency scenarios, any port will do in a storm (exceptions would include lower limb trauma/pelvic bleeding, where getting IV access higher up would be better). Occasionally where veins are really naff in an emergency, intraosseous (bone) needles are used, with the tibia being one of the options. So, the best site for sticking a cannula will depend on what the reason for the cannula is and what that person's veiny options are.

I remember my first time watching an IO insertion 😮‍💨 fascinating but dreadful!

Anaesthetists do a wonderful job. I sent my DP round the back to watch them place my epidural, he was all prepared to be holding my hands but I was jealous I couldn’t actually watch it myself so I sent the next best thing 😂 the anaesthetist happily explained the whole procedure to him!

I have as all my other veins had given in (I only have a few decent ones and they'd been prodded about with too much during some tests and treatment). Take paracetamol before you go if you're worried but it doesn't hurt much more. The one on the outside right part of my wrist bone where she wiggled it in and out to insert the cannula hurt most of all the ones I've had done. Not unbearable though and it'll be over quickly. Get very hydrated and warm and hopefully it'll be easier to get from elsewhere first. Good luck xx

Sorry - posted this then realised you've already been. Glad it's done with and went ok xx

My DD has tiny veins. A different things, but she's unlucky to have had seven operations in 23 years. I was present when they were sedating her, and anesthetist was really struggling and both him and the surgeon ended up tapping her foot and the surgeon took over inserting the cannula. While she was drifting off, they were looking at her notes and it turned out she had the same surgeon for a totally different operation when she was 18 months and he ended up doing the final insertion.

I did when I was pregnant with DS and we were both very poorly. I had pretty much daily blood tests for 7 weeks and all my veins were fucked. Can’t remember it being particularly unpleasant… unlike the ones in my wrist.

Well I got my results back today from the nurse at the hospital white cell count is 24 and neutrophils 22.9 so they aren’t sure if I can increase my medication or not, they need to talk to the doctor first. Fingers crossed they can, don’t fancy another blood test!

Sorry you've been through this OP, it's horrible isn't it. What are they taking the blood for?

I had chemo last year and it appears my veins are fucked now, had a CT in November and it took 3 attempts to get the cannula in. I also have to have a 6 monthly infusion and the last time I was nearly crying with the pain 😡

My asd dd has in the past when she screamed and thrashed about to much for them to get from arms.
Had to be pinned down and foot was easier

That sounds awful for you.

I had it because I’ve got a skin condition and I’m on immunosuppressants and another strong medication from the hospital. They had lowered my immunosuppressant dose, and they were to see if they can increase it again as had a big flare up and my hands, arms and chest are covered in blisters and weeping skin, hence why they had to get bloods from my foot.

I spoke to the nurse at the hospital today but because my white cells and neutrophils are raised they need to get the Doctor to decide.

I'm so sorry, that sounds horrendous 😞 Glad they managed to draw your blood though. Weirdly though (and this will make you laugh), when I went into hospital for my mastectomy, the nurse put the cannula into my foot, I was like WTF. The surgeon rocked up and asked me why it was in my foot, as if I knew why!? The nurses are too scared to challenge 😳

Had to have another one today and it took three attempts all out of my feet. Didn’t hurt as much today though.

DD did when she was about five as she has tricky veins. I've never forgotten the screaming that she did and the amount of people holding her down. Luckily she doesn't remember it, but I do!