Sick of blood tests - scatched by phlebotomist. Can I complain?

[tweety1]

Hi there,

Just having a bit of a moan. Anyone fed up of having blood tests while pregnant? Didn't realise you have to have so many. I absolutely hate them - the pain I can take but just hate needles. Had one a few weeks go to check my iron level and the phlebotomist scratched my arm before she inserted the needle, I was quite annoyed and have been thinking of maybe making a complaint. Just makes me angry when people are careless.

I've found that whilst being pregnant I've met my fair share of vampires! Apparently its not easy to find my veins. Doh! My arms are constantly covered in bruises.

I wouldn't complain though unless I thought they really were careless. You've got to permit for human error haven't you?

Leoni, yeah I know people make mistakes and I'm sure the phlebotomist didnt scratch me on purpose. Just annoyed and dont understand how she managed to do it.

I have a scar on my arm caused by a practice nurse being careless and giving me a pretty deep cut when removing the needle after a routine blood test. When I pointed it out she told me not to be a baby! As a doctor I take blood from patients all the time and although mistakes happen you need to be very vigilant to any potential distress you could cause when taking blood - and if she scratched you she should have noticed and apologised! If you remain unhappy with her technique you should raise the issue or at least ask her to be more careful if she has to do it again.

Get a grip.

I had 3 vials of blood taken ever other day for 7 weeks when I was pregnant. All my veins collapsed.

Complain all you like about your scratch, I'm sure the plebotomist didn't do it for fun.

I expect she scratched your arm because you flinched as she approached. It will have been a crappy experience for her too.

If you would like to upset and embarass her further then go ahead and complain.

I would imagine it was an accident. Sorry but I don't think you should complain.

If it's just a scratch leave it. If it's worse you need to mention it when you next see her. It would have to be pretty terrible to warrant a complaint.

My abiding memory of pregnancy was constant blood tests. Although the phlebotomists were better than the junior doctors on the surgical ward

I think you are transferring your hatred of the blood tests onto the phlebotomist

I think that sometimes these things happen. I had to have around 150 blood tests over the course of a year, and the worst one was done by a nurse, who was lovely and quite a good friend - afterwards she said she felt really uncomfortable about injecting me and her nervousness led to her being a bit heavyhanded.

If it was just a one off and her attitude otherwise was ok, then I wouldn't complain.

No. You are overreacting - we've all been scratched during a blood test but I don't think most of us would complain. I agree with the comment about human error.

Someone tell me this is a wind up???!

my GP scratched my 3 year old son's leg with the needle- about 4 cm long. He didn't even apologise. Still about it a nearly 2 years later.

I hope this is indeed a wind up. For god's sake get a grip...what on earth do you hope to achieve by complaining? I had so much blood taken when I was in hospital all my veins collapsed and I was extremely difficult to get blood from. Midwives and nurses use to hate having to do me and would ask an anaesthetist or a doctor and they would find it difficult but I smiled and reassured them the whole time hoping to relieve their anxiety as I know none of them enjoyed it. Because of my experience I now have scar tissue over a lot of my veins which makes taking blood even more difficult Today I had to have 10 vials of blood taken at the community midwife, it took 5 attempts in my hands and arms and 2 midwives to eventually get about 7 vials. I am a little marked but I am not worried about it, as at least they managed it without me having to make a trip to hospital to have it done. The midwives were a little worried but again I smiled and reassured them that they were doing a great job.

I had an abcess cut out years ago with no local anaesthetic! Now that I complained about. A tiny scratch, seriously?!

Scratched?

Get over it.

Everyone makes mistakes.