CT Scan Experience - Page 2

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

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.

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Catty2 · ‎09-06-2014

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.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@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.

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Big Sister · ‎05-15-2010

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.

gmkb · ‎07-29-2012

@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.

Cakers3 · ‎06-17-2015

@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.

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh

CinNC · ‎10-05-2012

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.

redwingsgal · ‎03-10-2010

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!!!

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, til death, your right to say it

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

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.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@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.