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I was posted into the Nursery Ward during my third month in Paediatrics.
There is a rule in Paediatrics whereby we are only allowed to attempt blood taking for two times. After which if we failed, we had to ask for help from the seniors or medical officers.
There was a particular child who was admitted for presumed sepsis. Usually when they are admitted for presumed sepsis, we have to take blood C&S prior to starting antibiotics.
Usually when it comes to blood taking, I’ll try my best to attempt again until I am able to get. For this particular baby, I poke around 4 times and I wasn’t able to get the blood to flow out and hence, I wasn’t able to secure or set a line.
The nurse noticed that I have attempted a few times and informed a medical officer who happened to be there. I got sounded for trying multiple times. Amidst the tiredness and determination to try again, I should have seek for help when I was unable to get. There was a reason why we shouldn’t attempt to poke these darling creatures multiple times.
That medical officer then took over and passed within the first attempt itself.
I proceeded to trace the other job lists, completing the necessary forms for the following day and the observation chart as well as preparing the “coming mornings” for the designated patients.
That evening, that particular baby was weaned to cot and transferred into one if the rooms or cubicles in the nursery. Amidst helping with my colleague’s cubicle, the staff nurse stationed over there appointed me to inform that the pinky fingers over the baby’s right hand had turned blue.
Unable to believe what I just heard, I immediately inform my medical officer. Yet, here I was jammed within my own thoughts again, trying to process the events that had just occurred.
Next thing I knew, tears started streaming down my eyes and my colleague appreciated me and asked me if I needed her help in informing the medical officer.
On top of that, the nurse started panting out to me saying that it was all my doing for taking blood from this child.
I caused this to happen. It was my doing that this baby now has a blue pinky and what if it gets worse?
If all of this resulted from blood taking or merely squeezing the hand too hard, what about those children who are constantly abused or beaten?
What have I done to this poor child? I caused this.
I looked at the baby’s sweet face, cooing contentedly, fists are curled up and actively moving them about.
Ahh sweet child.
The medical officer on-call come and thankfully was calm throughout the while ordeal.
Immediately, he jumped into action made and gave his plans which were to cease any form of blood taking from that particular hard, to monitor that particular limb and to transfer the baby back to acute bay.
It was too much for me that day, having it been an already hectic and busy day on top of the scoldings and now regret, I was in no shape to continue as I kept breaking down.
The previous medical officer who scolded me earlier during my blood taking approached me. I was ready to receive another earful. Instead, she calmed me down and said that she understood that I was merely trying and determined. However, sometimes, things does not work out and that doesn’t define me as a bad doctor or a bad phlebotomist in this case but other people may have better luck.
Instead, she told me to return home and to rest.
I returned home and reflected back on the pain that I have caused that baby and also to the parents or family members who would definitely be questioning on the condition of the baby’s pinky.
All of these merely to get blood when I could have easily lost a finger or two or the whole hand if it did not resolve.
Thus, dear readers, take this a lesson from my experience. If you are due to enter the Paediatrics posting or is currently in this posting, surely there is a limit to the attempts by a House Officer. Depending on the centres, some are twice, some thrice.
However, if you are unable to secure a line or to withdraw blood after the designated amount of attempts, do not hesitate to reach out.
Sometimes, regardless of our good intentions, we forget that the main advice we have to adhere to as medical practitioners is to “Do No Harm”.
Related Posts:
- My First On Night Experience In General Paediatrics – Housemanship Diaries
- My First On-Night Experience In Nursery Ward
- My Experience In General Paediatrics (Paeds 2B) – Housemanship Diaries
- Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries
- The Paediatric Wards In Sarawak General Hospital
- Housemanship Diaries: Surviving the Tagging Period in Paediatrics
- Tagging Day 1 In My Third Posting – Day 498 | Housemanship Diaries
- The Benefits Of Working During The Weekend / Weekdays As A House Officer | Housemanship Diaries
- Reflection of The Obstetric and Gynaecology Posting
- My First Ever Explanation Letter
- The Joy Of Working The Night Shift As A House Officer
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