Question

Question 3, you encounter the 4. While performing an arterial puncture on Ms. Gordon, the patient in Critical Thinking Question 3, you encount following difficulties. Describe all possible solutions for each problem. A. The tip of the needle touches the bedside table before insertion into the patient. the needle should be discarded to now needle should be taken - B. The artery seems to roll away from the needle each time you approach it. C. You are having difficulty feeling a pulse in the right (nondominant) arm. D. You observe a blood flash in the hub of the needle, and then blood flow stops.

Answer 1

A. New needle should be used to puncture as the needle will not be as sharp and may be blunt, and also it it not sterilised.

B. The artery site should be well extended, you can also take help from the colleague to hold patient hand and extend it, this way the artery and the skin will not move.

C. If you are having a difficulty in feeling a pulse in the right dominant arm, you can also assess at the left hand, usually radial artery is preferred as the ulnar artery will supply blood to the other parts while the other artery is punctured, but make sure to perform Allen's test before actually puncturing the artery.

D. If the blood flow stops even after you see a blood flash at the hub, try moving the needle around the area or try to take back the needle a bit, the blood flow will definitely start again.