Date of Award/Publication

Spring 2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. in Advanced Practice Nursing

First Supervisor

Diane Mick

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not arm dominance contributes to rates of hemolysis in blood samples that are drawn from intravenous catheters at the time of their initial placement. A quantitative, prospective, quasi-experimental design was used. Fifty-eight subjects were randomized to either the control group who had blood drawn through an IV catheter placed in their dominant arm or the experimental group for whom the non-dominant arm was selected. The Sarstedt Monovette collection system was used to obtain blood samples from the IV catheter. Overall, blood specimens demonstrated a very low rate of hemolysis. Only one of the 159 blood tubes collected from the subjects was found to be hemolyzed. Although no correlation was found between arm dominance and sample hemolysis, a moderate relationship was identified between IV catheter site and degree of aspiration resistance.

Included in

Nursing Commons

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