Why does bruising occur after blood draw? How should I avoid it?

Do you know what causes bruising at the arm after blood draw?

Most of the reasons for bruising at the arm after a blood draw are caused by improper way of pressure to stop bleeding after the puncture.

1. Under normal circumstances, the nurse has a certain angle when drawing blood into the needle (according to the requirement that the needle and the skin become 15°), and the needle will pass through a small distance under the skin and then pierce the superficial vein under the skin after piercing the skin. Therefore, there are two needle eyes in the arm, one on the skin and one on the vein. At this time, if only the needle eye on the surface of the skin is pressed, and the needle eye on the blood vessel is not pressed, the puncture point on the blood vessel will continue to bleed and accumulate under the skin, slowly turning into a bruise, and in serious cases, a subcutaneous hematoma may appear.

2. Insufficient time for pressure is also an important cause of subcutaneous bruising. If the pressing time is too short, the needle eye is not completely closed and will continue to bleed resulting in bruising.

3、Moving the swab back and forth or rubbing the eye of the needle while pressing will cause the blood vessel to bleed again and cause bruising under the skin.

4、Checking whether there is bleeding while pressing after drawing blood not only affects the speed of hemostasis but also causes bruising more easily.

5. Lifting heavy objects after compression also tends to cause the newly healed blood vessels to continue to bleed and cause bruising.

In order to avoid bruising, what should we do?

1. Choose the right position for pressure, three fingers method for pressure, the middle finger is located in the epidermal bleeding point, index finger and ring finger placed in the upper and lower part of the homeopathic. This is because when drawing blood, the needle stabbed obliquely into the blood vessels, a needle under the actual two bleeding points, all pressed to prevent bruising.

2. To master the correct technique, you need to press lightly for 3-5 minutes with a straight elbow.

What should we do if there is already bruising?

Usually there is no need for special treatment, the bruise will fade on its own within 1 to 2 weeks and will not affect the body.

You can also apply cold compresses followed by hot compresses. An immediate cold compress will reduce blood flow and minimize bruising. Wrap an ice pack in a towel or soak the towel in cool water for 10 minutes and repeat every 20 minutes or so. After 24 hours of blood draw, you can choose to apply a hot compress with a warm towel to promote local blood circulation and dissipation of bruising.