Preference for Venepuncture Site: Should the Patient be Consulted?

From Volume 29, Issue 5, June 2002 | Pages 239-243

Authors

Michelle A. Golding

BDS, DDPH, DipDSed

Senior Dental Officer, South West London Community NHS Trust, Orchard Hill Health Centre, Carshalton, Surrey

Articles by Michelle A. Golding

Guy D. Palmer

BDS, MSc, MRD RCS

Senior Demonstrator in Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Dentistry, London

Articles by Guy D. Palmer

Garry J.P. Fleming

BSc, PhD

Research Fellow in Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Dentistry, London

Articles by Garry J.P. Fleming

Abstract

A questionnaire-based study was undertaken to ascertain if patient preferences were being met in clinical practice by investigating patients' past experience of venepuncture and patient and operator preference for venepuncture site. Patients and operators expressed a preference for either the dorsum of the hand or the antecubital fossa as sites of venous access. Patients who expressed a preference for the dorsum of the hand were more likely to have received venepuncture in their chosen site, although the likelihood of venepuncture failure is higher in the dorsum of the hand than in the antecubital fossa.

Article