A peripheral arterial catheter is a small plastic catheter inserted through the skin into an artery in one of the limbs. Sometimes called a peripheral arterial line or PAL, this type of catheter is used in the NICU to take frequent blood samples without having to draw blood repeatedly via a needlestick. Peripheral arterial catheters in neonates can be necessary if the baby has a severe lung disease, is on a ventilator, has blood pressure issues, requires pressure monitoring, or is taking medication.
How the Hummi Blood Transfer Device Improves Peripheral Arterial Blood Sampling
The Hummi Micro-Draw Blood Transfer Device from Kentec Medical is specifically designed to improve on traditional peripheral arterial blood draw techniques in order to improve clinical outcomes.
The Hummi blood transfer device contains a blunt stainless tube and a Y-shaped hub with two separate micro-bore tubing extensions for collecting waste blood and sampling, respectively. When sampling, the Hummi Micro-Draw Blood Transfer Device is inserted through the split septum of the Micro-T connector directly into the base of an arterial catheter. The Hummi blunt tube comes to rest approximately 1-2mm from the opening of the catheter, bypassing the dead space in the T-connector and catheter hub entirely and allowing blood to flow directly from the catheter into the Hummi blood transfer device and extension lines.
When taking the blood directly from the peripheral catheter hub, the clearance volume required is very low, as only the catheter itself needs to be cleared. The Hummi Micro-Draw Blood Transfer Device draws no blood into the catheter hub or T-connector housing, allowing clearance of five times the catheter volume with only 0.1mL of blood movement into the Hummi device itself. The total discard volume of whole blood is approximately 0.12mL and no flushing after the draw is required, as the volume of blood in the catheter itself is easily flushed by the pump when flow is restarted in the line.
Other Clinical Advantages of the Hummi Micro-Draw Blood Transfer Device for Peripheral Arterial Draws
- No blood is aspirated during the sampling process when you use self-venting syringes. Vented syringes allow passive pressure to collect the blood, eliminating negative pressures as well as the risk of air embolism.
- No blood is drawn into the Micro-T connector or monitoring line, minimizing blood movement.
- The system is closed, keeping infection and blood exposure risk to a minimum.
- The device only requires one access point for both waste clearance and sample draws.
- Flushing after the draw is not required, as the pump will move the small amount of blood in the catheter back to the patient.
- Due to the low volume of blood movement and no flush requirement, the peripheral catheter will have a longer indwell life with fewer complications for the patient.
Improve the Safety of Your Blood Sampling Methods with Kentec Medical
Kentec Medical believes that high-quality tools like the Hummi Micro Draw are a critical part of ensuring that NICU staff and other healthcare providers have the equipment and support they need to improve patient health outcomes. We’re ready and able to help guide you through the process of getting Hummi products into your hospital so that you can focus on the work that really matters — saving lives. Contact us today to learn more.