title: [Can a blood sample for diagnostic exams be drawn from a peripheral venous catheter?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Often the blood sample in patients exposed to serial blood exams is taken from the venous cannula (PVC) to avoid a second venipuncture.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether blood draws from PVCs are more haemolized than those drawn from phlebotomy, and if the blood drawn from a cannula interferes with the test results.
  
  
  METHODS
  A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed, Cinhal and Ovid, with the following key words: Peripheral Catheter, Blood Specimen Collection, Blood Sample, Haemolysis, 19 articles were identified (including 2 meta analyses), selecting the articles involving emergency departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The meta-analyses agree on the lower risk for haemolysis in blood drawn from a needle: risk reduction of 84% (RR=0.16, IC 95% 0.11-0.24) (Heyer et al); the blood draw from PVC increased the risk for hemolysis of 7% (RR 1.07 IC 95% 1.06-1.08, p<0.001) (Lippi et al). Manual aspiration reduces the risk for hemolysis compared to the vacutainer equipment. However, the results of tests drawn from PVC are not significantly different compared to the classical phlebotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood draws from PVC bear an higher risk for heamolysis but can be safely used for most diagnostic exams, with the exception of blood gase.
authors.affiliation: CPSI, Direzione Sanitaria Ospedale S. Croce, Moncalieri (TO) Per corrispondenza: Stefano Benso, steobenso@inwind.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benso
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000451:nursing*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D057785:Catheters / Q000009:adverse effects; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000451:nursing*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000451:nursing*