Accessi venosi difficili e consumatori di sostanze: indagine sulle sedi di prelievo e sulle difficoltà grave; di esecuzione

Abstract

Introduction: injection drug users (IDUs) are a patients considered like a hard venous access category. The Addictions Department (Ser.D) screen and monitoring infectious diseases related to addiction through blood samples. Aim: identify the mostly used site for taking of blood samples and assess whether there is difficulty in the execution. Method: descriptive-observational study; it uses a monitoring template already used and isolates IDUs from non-injection drug users. Data is processed using Microsoft Excel®. The research was carried out from 25/02/2015 to 30/09/2015 on 163 patients. In 62% of cases blood sampling was performed in median cubital vein, respectively, 54% and 83% in IDUs in NIDU. The mean of attempts in IDU patients is 2, in NIDU is 1. In 18% of cases were ultrasound driven. In 2% arterial puncture was required. In 2% of IDUs blood sampling was failed. Discussion: the cubital vein is the mainly used and the first choice. In some cases, the patient requires blood withdrawal in different veins because cubital veins is used for substances or considered obliterated; in these situations the relationship is crucial. Health professionals find problems on the technical side, especially in IDUs, in finding a suitable venous access and on the relational building, balancing user requirements with the need to take the sample without altering the professional/ patient relationship.