Phlebotomy usually requires the drawing of blood from a huge variety of people. Most of the time, however, you will find that the way you handle different categories of people is not the same. For instance, if you find that you need to undertake phlebotomy on a person who is unconscious, you will find that the process can be very easy, and you can even perform the phlebotomy procedure even if you are not very experienced. There are some circumstances, however, when you need to change tactics. For instance, undertaking phlebotomy on an adult is not the same as performing it on a child; the two need to be approached differently.
When undertaking phlebotomy on children, one thing that you will always encounter is the fact that they will be afraid. This is something that has to be dealt with, but how you go about dealing with it will determine how easy the process is for you. There are several guidelines that you can use in such a scenario, although most of the time you will find that the best way to handle such patients is through experience. Some of the tips that you can use to easily draw blood from young patients without having them too distraught are discussed below.
The first thing in such a circumstance is that you should try to put the child at ease. Most phlebotomists are usually very busy, and therefore think that this is just a waste of time. However, you will find that by pacifying the child before you begin the procedure, you will find that the process will go much faster and you will save time overall. Simply taking a few seconds to talk to the child and tell them that everything is going to be okay will help. You could also explain to them what you are going to do and why you are doing it, if they are old enough to comprehend.
Some authorities say that it’s much better to be honest with children by telling them that the procedure will hurt a little. If you tell them that it won’t hurt, the fact that the prick will definitely hurt may cause them to lose faith in you and other subsequent phlebotomists. By being frank with them, you also prime them so that they know what to expect from the procedure, which will make it much easier for you.
Some people think that phlebotomy for children is best done when they are forcefully restrained. Whilst this may be true for some categories of children, such as young babies, doing so for older children may not work. By restraining them, you basically elicit more resistance from them, and they will put up more of a struggle. Worse than this, though, is the emotional and psychological pain you will be causing to the child. It’s much better to handle such phlebotomy as has been described above. This way, you will find that the children handle the procedure much better and they are more likely to be co-operative in the future too.
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