ILLUMINATING THE ROADMAP TO EASIER BLOOD DRAWS

Blood drawing for patients with hard-toreach veins just became a lot easier and less painful at The Valley Hospital, thanks to a small handheld device that lights up veins like a roadmap. With the AccuVein illumination device, the need for multiple needle sticks to try to hit a good vein for a blood draw is a thing of the past. Hemoglobin in the blood absorbs the infrared light of the device. When the device is held above the skin, veins appear noticeably different than the surrounding tissue. The AccuVein illumination device has been phased into use in several Valley Health System departments, including pediatrics and diagnostic imaging. “Several patients have commented that they have felt a lot more comfortable during blood draws and IV insertions with the vein illuminator because of not needing multiple sticks,” says David Rivera, director of cardiac services at Valley Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Institute.