'Flying needle' takes the pain out of drawing blood
Editor's note:
People are vulnerable while at hospital. Heart-warming care and excellent skill from medical staff give patients warmth and confidence in defeating their disease. From blood drawing, bone setting to surgery, many medical staff have unique skills, which are reflection of their craftsmanship and pursuit of a high-quality health service.
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Reported by Cai Wenjun. Subtitles by Cai Wenjun.
Many people are afraid of having their blood drawn, especially those with narrow vessels or those in a poor condition due to chemotherapy.
At Shanghai Chest Hospital, phlebotomist Li Fusheng has developed a Xiao Li-style vein puncture which is extremely quick and highly accurate. It has been nicknamed the flying needle, which is inserted into a vein in under a second before patients start to feel pain, no matter how narrow or poor the blood vessels are.
Phlebotomist Li Fusheng inserts a needle so quickly that a patient doesn't have time to feel any pain.
The needle is in before people realize it, patients said.
"I have been sick for a long time and need to receive blood drawing frequently. My blood vessels have collapsed and nurses have to look for the veins and insert the needle several times before drawing the blood. It is very painful," said one elderly patient. "The phlebotomist here is extremely excellent, as he can draw blood at the right position within one quick inserting."
"The so-called flying needle depends on explosive power, which controls the needle right from the skin to the blood vessel by the quickest speed. The speed reduces the pain," said Li, who has shared his experience and trained his colleagues.
"Repeated practice is the key. I do practice on rubber bandages from time to time as the bandage has a similar touch feeling and elasticity of a real blood vessel," he said.
As a leading hospital, Shanghai Chest Hospital has four blood drawing windows serving over 600 patients a day.
"Many patients have heart disease or cancer. Some cancer patients suffer swollen limbs and blood vessels are much harder and difficult to be identified due to long-term chemotherapy," said Dr Wang Jiayi, director of the hospital's laboratory medicine department. "For vessels losing elasticity, blood drawing is very challenging. Our needle is 0.7 millimeters in diameter. Such cancer patients' blood vessels are within 1 millimeter, much slimmer than healthy people. Our staff's skill is practiced through regular and challenging practices."
Li Fusheng draws blood from an elderly patient with veins in a poor condition.
"Vein puncture is a basic skill for each staff at the laboratory medicine department. But it is exactly the reflection of craftsmanship and care for the patients," Wang said. "Patients want to have blood collected through one needle insertion. For cancer patients and elderly with poor vessel condition, they have stronger feeling of pain and usually have to undergo several insertions to draw blood. Our Xiao Li-style blood drawing skill, which is known among patients, solves their concern and allows them to have a good experience.
"Drawing blood through one insertion prevents possible infection and ensures sample accuracy, while the quick speed reduces patients' pain. Blood drawing is a small issue, however the good experience and high-quality service can give patients confidence in defeating the disease. No matter surgery or blood drawing, craftsmanship can be shown through each detail and service. It is an important part of the health service," he said.
