topic Re: CT Scan Experience in Among Friends

CT Scan Experience

Katcat1 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:25:42 GMT

Today I had a CT scan on my lungs. Okay, I am laying on the portable bed (or whatever they call it) that moves back and forth under the CT scan machine. The woman doing the scan needs to put in an IV for the Contrast. I could not see what she was doing because there was recessed lighting in the ceiliing so my vision was impaired but I could surely feel it and it hurt. I finally said something to her that I never had this experience and it hurts (she was also pressing down on the puncture she made to stop the bleeding). She leaves the room and brings back 2 women. Now another woman goes to the other arm and put not one but 2 bands around my arms and ties them & it hurt very much. She can't do it either and she is pressing down on the puncture which was very painful. Now I get really upset (voice really raises and the tone is stern) and said if you can't get this right on the next turn, I am going home. Here comes a 3rd woman give it a try. Finally, someone that knows what they are doing. I am not a some plastic doll you can poke at will. Do some of these people get trained properly? Have you ever had a bad experience with an IV startup?

Re: CT Scan Experience

missy1 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:32:22 GMT

Sometimes it happens to me. They are trained, it's just sometimes hard to get the right vein.

Re: CT Scan Experience

colleena — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:33:16 GMT

KatCat1: I am so sorry you had to go through that experience - not fun at all & no, you are not a pin cushion. Hope you feel better.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Love my grandkids — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:33:17 GMT

That was terrible! I was told ages ago to always drink a lot a LOT of water the day before an IV as it "plumps" your veins!

I've had a number of CT scans since my cancer diagnosis and surgery 13 months ago and have never had any trouble.

I have a port so the contrast (except for one time) is administered through that.

Glad you complained. Too often patients don't stand up for themselves.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Shanus — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:37:43 GMT

@Katcat1. So sorry you had that experience. It’s not pleasant in the best of circumstances. Hope all is well and you aren’t as black & blue as I get.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Azcowgirl — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:42:33 GMT

@Katcat1

Ouch ! 😩 ... you have my sympathy , I just had a CT scan too, and the technician said “ ok, here comes a big stick”

boy he wasn’t kidding, the needle he used must’ve been a big one, man that hurt ! He got in with one poke, so I feel really sorry for you getting stuck multiple times 😥

Re: CT Scan Experience

nana59 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:44:09 GMT

@Katcat1 wrote:
Today I had a CT scan on my lungs. Okay, I am laying on the portable bed (or whatever they call it) that moves back and forth under the CT scan machine. The woman doing the scan needs to put in an IV for the Contrast. I could not see what she was doing because there was recessed lighting in the ceiliing so my vision was impaired but I could surely feel it and it hurt. I finally said something to her that I never had this experience and it hurts (she was also pressing down on the puncture she made to stop the bleeding). She leaves the room and brings back 2 women. Now another woman goes to the other arm and put not one but 2 bands around my arms and ties them & it hurt very much. She can't do it either and she is pressing down on the puncture which was very painful. Now I get really upset (voice really raises and the tone is stern) and said if you can't get this right on the next turn, I am going home. Here comes a 3rd woman give it a try. Finally, someone that knows what they are doing. I am not a some plastic doll you can poke at will. Do some of these people get trained properly? Have you ever had a bad experience with an IV startup?

sorry you had to go through this...had the same experience during my last hospital stay in september..i dread medical procedures...

Re: CT Scan Experience

Nonametoday — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:55:17 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
Sometimes it happens to me. They are trained, it's just sometimes hard to get the right vein.

Some people are hard sticks. It is very hard sometimes to keep the needle in the vein and a person who is dehydrated, probably fasting overnight, makes it much harder. There are people who have what techs call "rolling veins." You think you have it in and then it pops out. Putting two tourniquets usually does the trick. ER nurses and techs are better at that because they do so many. However, I had an occasion 2 years ago this month where no one could get one in me as I was dehydrated and septic, and had to have a cutdown. I was bruised from my shoulder to my hand. No reason to whine about it. It was necessary.

Re: CT Scan Experience

happycat — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 03:54:10 GMT

So sorry that happened to you. It hurts just thinking about it.

I have had them have trouble taking blood before. There was one woman who worked in the lab where I use to go, she never had any problem, one stick and we were done! There was a different woman, and she would always have to poke me at least 3 or 4 times. I found a different dr. Life is too short for that mess.

Re: CT Scan Experience

GCR18 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:15:54 GMT

I've had a bunch of CT scans having had cancer. I've only had one where they had to call other people in the room to try. Got a good black and blue from that one.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Kachina624 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:16:10 GMT

If that ever happens again, ask the to find a paramedic or EMT. They frequently hang around in ERs. They're trained to find veins while bouncing along in an ambulance and are very good at it.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Catty2 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:17:25 GMT

Yes, I've had that happen to me more than once and it hurts! When I go for a normal blood draw I have them use the veins in my hands which are bigger than the ones in my arms.

Re: CT Scan Experience

BirkiLady — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 04:36:37 GMT

@Katcat1 Sounds like a miserable experience, but two expecially important suggestions have emerged: (1) Always drink lots of water prior to something such at this procedure plus, it's excellent for your overall health, and (2) The EMT idea is fabulous! I learn something everyday.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Big Sister — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 07:57:46 GMT

Those who draw blood (phlebotomist (sp?) are very different: some are very good and some are not good. If you find a good one, remember her name for the next time. I am a very hard draw so I always ask for a butterfly needle to be placed in my hand vein.

Re: CT Scan Experience

gmkb — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 09:50:46 GMT

@Katcat1 I am constantly surprised at how poorly the people running these scans do starting the IV.. You would expect that their skill would be flawless since they do this everyday all day. But my experiences have been similar to yours.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Cakers3 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 11:48:36 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
If that ever happens again, ask the to find a paramedic or EMT. They frequently hang around in ERs. They're trained to find veins while bouncing along in an ambulance and are very good at it.

@Kachina624 I'm not sure if that would be allowed? Are the paramedics/EMT's employed by the hospital? If not I would think that their duties end they hand over the patient to the hospital staff.

Re: CT Scan Experience

CinNC — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 12:05:11 GMT

I had a similar experience happen with a blood draw - not my doctor's office.

I have a great vein in my right arm and terrible one in the left - told the tech. She was really arrogant and said she could get it out of either arm. After several painful tries on the left, she got it on one try on the right and apologized all over the place. It was the only time I considered reporting somebody to their supervisor. I was livid.

Re: CT Scan Experience

redwingsgal — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 13:57:43 GMT

You do need to hydrate for several days prior to an IV, I get infusions monthly and when I do not hydrate, it makes it difficult for the LPN to stick me.

I work in a corporate office for an employer funded primary care and our policy is two sticks (for blood draws, not IVs) if the MA cannot get the blood draw in two sticks, we send the pt to the labcorp nearest them

Any office or hospital I have ever worked, two attempts is the max

That being said, the last CT I had, the "nurse" stuck me like he would a farm animal and half way thru the CT (my arms were over my head so I could not see the site) my arm started hurting so bad, I called for help. The CT tech came to me and said "OMG" and ran down the hall to get help. The "nurse" she brought in said "oh, it looks like the vein blew". My arm was swollen like a baseball and hurt like the dickens. They quickly removed the IV and put ice on the site and the suits came in to walk me to my car and ask if everything was ok. I have not been back there!!!

Glad you spoke up for yourself!!!

Re: CT Scan Experience

wagirl — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:00:32 GMT

Kat---so sorry you went thru that--I had that happen to me when I was going in for breast surgery for cancer---the woman jabbed the top of my right hand 5 times before they decided to go thru my very prominate veins at the side of my wrist----I was a bruised mess for weeks!!! Now still kind of freaked out over IVs.

Re: CT Scan Experience

Tinkrbl44 — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:19:32 GMT

@Katcat1 wrote:
Today I had a CT scan on my lungs. Okay, I am laying on the portable bed (or whatever they call it) that moves back and forth under the CT scan machine. The woman doing the scan needs to put in an IV for the Contrast. I could not see what she was doing because there was recessed lighting in the ceiliing so my vision was impaired but I could surely feel it and it hurt. I finally said something to her that I never had this experience and it hurts (she was also pressing down on the puncture she made to stop the bleeding). She leaves the room and brings back 2 women. Now another woman goes to the other arm and put not one but 2 bands around my arms and ties them & it hurt very much. She can't do it either and she is pressing down on the puncture which was very painful. Now I get really upset (voice really raises and the tone is stern) and said if you can't get this right on the next turn, I am going home. Here comes a 3rd woman give it a try. Finally, someone that knows what they are doing. I am not a some plastic doll you can poke at will. Do some of these people get trained properly? Have you ever had a bad experience with an IV startup?

@Katcat1

I would say give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they were all experienced, and your veins are the problem. There have been times when my doctor had trouble getting into a vein (the nurses had called her to try). Hey, it happens.

Years ago I was hospitalized to have my appendix out and a nurse came around to get some blood. She made FIVE attempts to get a needle into a vein ..... and then said she'd come back later and try again. Grrrrr ......

She said my veins were hard to get at, and called it a "junkie's nightmare". It's a bit funny now, but it wasn't funny then.