Questions to Nurses and Phlobotomists?

Hello

I went to a blood draw today....the nurse first tried drawing blood from my right arm , but it didnt work coz only little blood came out...then she tried on my left arm with another syrings and it worked...my question is, why didnt it work the first time...is it possible that the needle was used before on somebody else and was clogged by clotted blood?? I am afraid of HIV

Sweetheart please do not stress about this!!! Sometimes veins do not like having needles stuck in them and they collapse and then there is problem getting blood from them. ANother reason is the person taking the blood cannot see through your skin to see how good your veins are and if they choose a small vein and can also collapse. Believe me they always have trouble getting blood from me... I am also an RN and take blood on a daily basis. They never use a previously used needle for many reasons including disease risks.

Absolutly not. I am a nurse. Sometimes a vein won't bleed when you stick it because it is too small or the needle poked through to the other side of it. You get a little blood but not enough to fill the tube. Clean needles are used for every stick.

Nope. It only means that blood flow on your other hand is weak and blood couldn't be drawn. Or your nurse is an idiot and didn't hit a vein like she was supposed to do. She must have hit a muscle or something. There is no need to fear HIV infection, especially if you have the procedure done in a licensed clinic or hospital. They always use sterile and/or new things.

No that's not likely. Some veins just work better than others to draw blood.

It is illegal to use a needle on someone that has been used on someone else. The vein on the arm she tried first probably wasn't a good one(too small or the needle went all the way through). It is extremely unlikely to contract a blood borne disease such as HIV from getting your blood drawn due to all the safety precations that must be followed.

absolutely not...... they are disposable...
Sometimes the veins are harder to access, so they try the other arm...