Have you ever wondered what the strap around your arm is used for during a blood test? It’s called a tourniquet, and pathology collectors use these to assess and determine the location of a suitable vein for venepuncture.
Using a tourniquet around a client’s arm stops the flow of venous blood and allows blood to accumulate in the veins, as a result the vein temporarily swells. This allows the veins to be more visible and easier to palpate. This helps a pathology collector to find a vein and to collect enough blood for the required samples.
A pathology collector will firstly use the tourniquet to identify vein position and direction. Once an appropriate vein has been located, the tourniquet is loosened. Pathology collectors then ensure their equipment (like their needle and tubes) and the patient are ready for venepuncture to begin.
As a standard, tightened tourniquets should not be left in position for greater than one minute. The patient and equipment should be prepared prior to tightening the tourniquet. A tourniquet should not be too tight because it can be uncomfortable for the client and obstruct blood flow. A tourniquet should not be so tight that the surrounding skin blanches with small reddish spots appearing (broken capillaries), or that it is hard to find a radial pulse.
If the use of tourniquets in pathology interests you, have you considered studying the HLT37215 Certificate III in Pathology Collection? LTT offers this nationally recognised qualification at our Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney training centres.