Labs prior to spinal injections?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

oneforfighting

Full Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
445
Reaction score
155
Does anyone order labs routinely prior to injections? Had a patient (works as RN) tell me she was surprised that I did not check platelets prior to her CESI. I don't routinely order them but if I did it would probably not be so much for MBBs but more for interlaminar CESI/LESI. Thoughts?
 
Does anyone order labs routinely prior to injections? Had a patient (works as RN) tell me she was surprised that I did not check platelets prior to her CESI. I don't routinely order them but if I did it would probably not be so much for MBBs but more for interlaminar CESI/LESI. Thoughts?

Not unless you had a reason to suspect they had low platelets or a coagulopathy (hepatic disease, history of easy bruising or bleeding, ITP, etc)
 
Not unless you had a reason to suspect they had low platelets or a coagulopathy (hepatic disease, history of easy bruising or bleeding, ITP, etc)
This is consistent with Anesthesia preoperative guidelines.

Is she a labor and delivery RN?
This is my guess. Pregnancy itself is a cause of low platelets and since we do a ton of neuraxial in pregnant ladies, everyone gets a CBC on admission.
 
This is consistent with Anesthesia preoperative guidelines.


This is my guess. Pregnancy itself is a cause of low platelets and since we do a ton of neuraxial in pregnant ladies, everyone gets a CBC on admission.
Yep. And to an RN, who knows procedure protocols, (but doesn’t understand the science behind them) it seems a pain physician is “wrong/bad” not to order cbc before an ESI on an otherwise healthy individual.
 
RN=Just enough medical knowledge to be dangerous.

Similar to first year medical students.
Med students will at least keep their mouth closed with the ridiculous medical opinions most the time.
 
Med students will at least keep their mouth closed with the ridiculous medical opinions most the time.
You know what, a patient has a right to ask these kinds of questions. No need to take it personally. This isn’t a nurse-doctor relationship when you’re consenting them for a procedure. I typically ask them if there was something in particular they were worried about so that I know how to phrase the answer.
 
Yes , Covid 19 test prior to asc or hospital procedures… 😝
Not sure when that will cease
 
Top