Attention
Ways to collect blood from babies and children
- Skin puncture — heel or finger
- From arm, hand, foot, ankle site using Vacutainer, ordinary needle and syringe, butterfly needle — see Collecting blood samples
Skin puncture — heel or finger
Attention
Do not do finger prick tests on children less than 6 months old — use heel instead
- Make sure finger or heel pink and warm so blood flows easily — keep lower than body
- If cold and blood won’t flow — warm finger or heel with warm water
- Do not squeeze/milk heel or finger — can change results of some tests. Just let blood drip
out
- See Figure 5.16 for correct place to prick heel or finger
What you need
- Someone to hold child
- Alcohol wipe
- Lancet or lancet pen to prick skin
- Depending on test — cuvette, collection blotter, test strip or microtainer blood tubes
(for small babies)
- Gauze swab or cotton wool ball
- Small sticking plaster
What you do
- Choose site — Figure 5.16
- Wipe site with swab and let dry completely
- Firmly hold finger/heel, prick with lancet
- Wipe away first drop of blood with gauze swab or cotton wool ball
Note: Pressing firmly against skin will help get a better puncture and blood flow
For haematology tests
- Make a blood slide
- If more than 1 day delay getting blood slide to pathology — also take tube of blood
and send in with slide
For microtainer
- Hold end of vent (on top of tube) up to blood drop on finger/heel, wait until blood
flows in. Stop for a few seconds, then do it again
- Roll microtainer between your palms to mix anticoagulant with the blood, so it doesn't
clot
For test strip/blotter
- Put single drop of blood on strip/blotter. Make sure test area doesn't touch skin.
For blotter, fill circles using as many drops as needed
- Gently press puncture site with dry gauze swab or cotton wool ball for a few seconds,
cover with sticking plaster if needed
Using cuvette