Quick Question

[rocky7814]

When the nurse is drawing blood with a vacutainer procedure.

1. The tube (vacutainer) cannot be opened before the draw because it would lose its vacuum effect, thus making a blood draw impossible.

2. The only thing that comes in contact with my bloodstream is the needle (which I saw her open, no blood on it) which connects/pierces the tube and the vacuum effect occurs (but what if there was someone elses blood, small amts in the tube

Sound right?

[rocky7814]

Probably right. I'll move on, my head is playing games with me.

[ExtremeStress]

you are crazy. let it go

[rocky7814]

It's not the holder, i'm worried about, it's the vial being re-used. Would obvious blood in the vial stain the vial if it wasnt sterilized?

[rocky7814]

Sorry Teak I confused myself, I just meant theres a vacuum in the vial, and the vials/tubes from what I was told are not opened before any testing is done. I'm heavily over-reacting here. On the question of the rapid test taking 40 minutes, and being negative? That pretty much proves, someone elses blood wasnt in the tube already (that and I'm sure I would've noticed copious amts in there) Plus its being withdrawn anyways, not injecting. All sound right?

[Teak]

You gave a very good URL that explained the vaccutainer and the blood vial. (If you can't read it, enlarge it.) You don't have to tell me about what is used, I have 18 vials collected every three months and I use them all the time to collect blood.

[rocky7814]

Vacutainer is the brand of tube/vial used that collects the blood. Via a vacuum within the tube

The vein is first punctured with the hypodermic needle which is carried in a translucent plastic holder. The needle is double ended, the second shorter needle being shrouded for safety by the holder. When a Vacutainer test tube is pushed down into the holder, its rubber cap is pierced by the second needle and the pressure difference between the blood volume and the vacuum in the tube forces blood through the needle and into the tube. The filled tube is then removed and another can be inserted and filled the same way. It is important to remove the tube before withdrawing the needle, as there may still be some suction left, causing pain upon withdrawal.

It was that process.

1. Anyways, my test was negative, if there was someone ELSES blood mixed in the tube with mine, wouldn't have this drawn an indertiminable result, if different two samples of blood were in the same tube? I'm just nerved because it took around 40 minutes for a rapid test. The clinic rang my phone after 20 while I was in the clinic which scared me, though it was very crowded that day (but I didn't answer in time after 17secs) and they left no message. This was the Public Health Dept

[Teak]

No the needle goes into the vial. If it is not a disposable vaccutainer then they replace the needle each time. Most places use disposable vaccutainers. Don't confuse the vaccutainers with the blood vials used to hold the samples.

[rocky7814]

I think I'm confusing words. By Vacutainer, I mean the test tube itself, not the 'holder' which holds the tube. There was no 'syringe' it was this setup

http://media.medsch.wisc.edu/illustration/instrument/gallery/inst_vacutainer_cd.jpg

So what I'm curious is, when the needle pierces the stopper, does it actually touch the withdrawn blood in the tube? Or does it just allow the vacuum process to take place.

[rocky7814]

Thanks. I know the 'needle' itself was clean, It was more so about whats inside the tube  (vacutainer), if possibly there was someone elses blood in the vacutainer, and it went back up into my arm the other direction, but the tech at the clinic told me they were air tight, and only opened 'in the back' where the testing was eventually done, that once they were opened, it loses its vacuum effect and they're thrown out.

[Teak]

The vacutainer with needle, holds and peirces the stopper in the vial. As for (2) forget about it, it doesn't happen. They don't reuse needles or butterflies.