nerve damage from blood draw ?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.

likeaboss

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
199
Reaction score
27
So about 5 days ago, I was getting my blood drawn for a life insurance policy. For this the lab company hires a nurse that comes to your door and draws blood. So this nurse calls me at about 8am and says she's outside and ready to get my blood and urine specimens. Shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes she says. So she gets my urine sample, and its now time to get my blood.

This is the ridiculous part. She takes the needle and stabs it into my median cubital vein at ALMOST a 90 degree angle (!!) with my arm, and goes straight through the vein (which is big, superficial and a very easy stick). I immediately wince in pain as she stabs either into my tendon or my nerve. My index finger and thumb are twitching and there are pains shooting down my lateral forearm. I'm just like " YOU ARE TOODEEEP PULL IT OUT A BIT PLEASE" as the blood SLOWLY starts to fill the vial. of course she doesn't and as she switches vials to collect her second one i'm in excruciatingly pain.

After about a minute pain and twitching, she's done, and i'm just like ok i'm glad thats over now get the **** out of my house i hate you. She makes some excuse like "oh usually i'm so painless patients dont even notice" and "you must have been dehydrated" . i'm just like ok get out whatever. she's a total quack, completely unqualified, just get out.

now this morning, five days later, I wake up with numbness and tingling in my thumb and index finger, some twitching in the area over my radial artery (where u'd normally place a radial art line), and some shooting paresthesias / pain when i rapidly and fully extend my elbow or pronate my forearm.

what do you guys think? I'm definitely going to call the nurse because she gave me her business card and let her know this is happening (her title is clinical support, so at this point I'm not even sure she's a nurse...)

and of course i'm going to let the lab company know because 1. this kind of incompetence should not be tolerated, and 2. if i end up with damage to my median nerve of my right hand those bastards will pay!!

i'm going in anesthesiology, i need my hands! hopefully this is transient and will not worsen..

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
I put on EMLA cream before I let people stick me, especially a nurse or lab tech. If I were you, get checked out by a neurologist and sue the bitch along with the insurance company for everything they have. There is no reason for a blood draw to be painful.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top