A first: ultrasound-guided blood sampling at UMC Utrecht

Not a few children, but also adults, are afraid of needle pricks. Bad experiences, such as severe pain when injecting or having to be injected multiple times, can cause or exacerbate that fear. An ultrasound-guided blood draw can significantly reduce anxiety.

Prik!-app

Esther van der Roest, Head of Unit at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ) tells on the hospital website: “When patients come for a blood test, we often see some excitement. They often say, “I hate it” or, “It never works for me at once.” We take patients’ fears seriously and try to keep the peace. Our pedagogical medical staff and medical psychologists help us with this.”

To ensure that people feel as little fear as possible when taking blood, UMC Utrecht uses different materials and methods. For example, there is the Prik! app, which helps parents prepare children for a blood test, injection or infusion. A special ointment to numb the skin locally is also regularly used.

Virtual reality and social robots

Efforts are being made in several locations in the Netherlands to eliminate the fear of needle sticks. Another innovative way to deal with fear of needles is the use of virtual reality. At the blood collection point of the Deventer hospital, for example, patients were recently given a Brilliant VR deployed. For example, children or people who are afraid of needles can relax better when drawing blood. In practice, distraction by creating a virtual world seems to work well.

UMC-Utrecht also conducts research on “distraction” in collaboration with students of the Hogeschool Utrecht and researchers. Specifically what is being watched social robots could mean for people with a fear of the needle. The bots have not yet been implemented, but it would certainly be a possibility to use them in the future.

Effective ultrasound-guided blood sampling

In any case, the ultrasound-guided blood test at the outpatient clinics of the UMC-Utrecht and the WKZ appears to be a particularly effective way of dealing with the fear of needles. This technology, which makes the veins visible, offers great benefits for patients of all ages whose veins in the elbow crease are not clearly visible. But this ultrasound-guided approach is also a solution for patients whose veins are vulnerable or damaged by treatments with certain drugs.

With ultrasound-guided blood sampling, the doctor or nurse can visualize and evaluate not only the depth of placement and the position of the needle, but also the quality of the veins. This virtually guarantees the possibility of a successful blood draw, especially in patients who are difficult to inject. In this way, patients can be prevented from developing a fear of the needle. Esther van der Roest: “The first patients, and also their parents, react enthusiastically. Since the ultrasound provides a good picture of where the needle is injected, the patient also gains confidence that it will go well. It gives the patient some control back.”