New device makes blood tests less painful and traumatic

A hospital in Glasgow, Scotland is using a new device to make administering blood tests and injections to children less distressing.  

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) has introduced the AccuVein AV300 to its wards, a handheld device designed to make it easier to find veins.

Using an ultraviolet light, the AccuVein device ‘paints’ veins in a high-visibility pattern, making them easier to see beneath the skin.

Veins can often be hard to find in adults and can be even more difficult to identify in children, which can make it upsetting for patients when having blood drawn or intravenous drips inserted.

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AccuVein AV300 has also enthralled children during their hospital stays, as they are able to see the veins ‘glowing’ under the skin’s surface.

 “One of the most difficult things for children can be the process of taking blood or inserting a tube into the vein,” explains Dr Graham Bell, a Consultant Anaethetist at the RHSC.

 “It can be hard to see the veins, particularly in babies and we may have to try a number of times before being successful.

He added: “This device gives us more options by identifying veins invisible to the naked eye. 

“It also helps identify which veins are the best so we hope this will mean fewer unsuccessful attempts and therefore less distress for the children and their parents.”

Kathleen Large’s 10-year-old son Ethan is due to have an endoscopy procedure, which requires a needle to be inserted before the procedure begins.

 She praised the device and said:  “I think this is a great device which really helps find those smaller veins that are difficult to get in infants and babies. 

“Anything that helps that helps the patient is a good thing,” she emphasised.  

“Having watched it work on Ethan, it really shows the depth of the vein so it helps doctors and nurses see just how good the vein really is which is helpful for them. 

“It means they don’t need two or three goes to get the needle in which can be upsetting for any child.”

The use of the device has been so successful and well received in children patients other hospitals in Glasgow are looking at using it on adult patients.