The AccuVein Learning Center is your go-to place for information on Vein Illumination, Venipuncture and training for the AccuVein product line. The Learning Center provides the latest news, video training and documentation downloads.
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Press Ganey Survey Included IV StartsWe know that patient satisfaction is impacted by the overall patient experience including venipuncture. The number of sticks or amount of pain experienced during this procedure has an effect on patient's scores. -
Patient Study Reveals that Vein Illumination Improves SatisfactionWe asked a large group of patients to share their thoughts about the use of vein illumination technology. We wanted to understand its impact on how a patient would perceive the quality of a hospital or clinic. Patient satisfaction is a key measurement of success. Learn what patients said about Improving Patient Satisfaction After seeing a... -
Doctor Uses AccuVein for Help With Vascular SurgeryAn advocate of AccuVein in Brazil, Dr. Rodrigo Kikuchi, is a reknown vascular surgeon. Here's a short video that Dr. Kikuchi took showing a AccuVein being used in a foam sclerotherapy procedure to identify the vein and show the foam being injected into the vein. -
Doctor's Tip For Cannulating A Difficult Bariatric PatientCannulating a bariatric patient can be very difficult due to excess adipose tissue. It is important to do a full assessment to locate a suitable vein. AccuVein vein visualization technology can help with locating and assessing suitable veins in all patients, including those that are heavy-set or obese. But sometimes there are those cases where the veins are... -
Tourniquet Time for PIV Blood DrawQuestions are often posed about whether to wait until all blood samples are collected before releasing the tourniquet and applying the dressing to the IV site. The 2016 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice does state that tourniquet time should be limited to 1 minute. Find out more information about why from Cora Vizcarra in her Infusion... -
Alabama Fire Department Equips their Ambulances with Vein IlluminationHoover Alabama's Fire Department has implemented vein illumination as a standard of care because they want to be on the cutting edge of EMS. "The department bought a dozen vein finders and will put one on each of the front-line engine companies and on each of the Fire Department's three rescue units, Hambright said." Read the... -
Hospital Reminder Posters Are Here!We've created two 8 1/2 x 11 posters to hang in the hospital to remind clinicians to look for their AccuVein device and to let them know where exactly to find it. The first poster, "Don't Forget to Reach for AccuVein Vein Illumination" and was designed to be hung in a nurses break room or... -
Wearing Gloves During VenipunctureGloves are not required when assessing and looking for veins. Unless the patient's skin is not intact, you can use your bare fingers to palpate and look for a suitable vein while assessing the vasculature. Gloves are however required by OSHA to be worn for the actual venipuncture procedure. Even though they are... -
Pediatric Nursing and the Stress of VenipunctureNurses are known for being able to stay calm under pressure; but being a pediatric nurse requires additional patience. In addition to meeting the physical needs of their patients, pediatric nurses must also educate parents while keeping even the youngest of patients calm during sometimes-painful procedures. Venipuncture can be very distressing for children, and... -
Taking Steps to Prevent Infiltrations in ChildrenThe incidence of infiltration can occur quickly and cause a great deal of damage. Complications of infiltration can include localized swelling and discomfort, compartment syndrome and necrosis. In an effort to reduce the incidence of infiltration an evidence based practice change project (EBPCP) was tested. The EBPCP included a comprehensive education plan focused on guidelines... -
Possible Side Effects Cosmetic Injectables“Face lifts” have become common cosmetic surgery procedures for patients who want to minimize the appearance of aging. Most cosmetic surgery procedures are safe and effective, however, there have been reports of paralysis of facial muscles and other problems due to complications from injectables, such as Botox. What Is Botox Migration? A rare but potentially serious... -
Using AccuVein Near MRIThe AccuVein vein illumination device uses two moving mirrors to create its projection. These mirrors take the single laser spot and make the projection rectangle you’re familiar with. The laser is only pointing at one spot at any given time, but since it moves so fast, your eye sees it as a rectangle. Since... -
The Use Of Alcohol SwabsHow many times should an alcohol swab be used? An alcohol swab should only be used once. Though alcohol is a disinfectant once the swab has been removed from it's package it is no longer sterile. It is important to use care while handling the swab and make sure only to use it on... -
Tips for Avoiding CLABSIsReducing the the number of unnecessary central lines done at your facility is the first step in avoiding central line associated bloodstream infections or CLABSIs. This can be done by improving IV insertion techniques through training and enforcement or standard operating procedures. Vein illumination has also been proven to reduce IV access escalations by 45%... -
Australian Red Cross Looks at Vein Visualization for Blood DrawThe Australian Red Cross has done a study on the use of vein visualization for blood draw. AccuVein was among the devices they examined in the study. The key results of the study were as follows: 53.4% return donors receiving vein visualization technology report that they would be more likely to donate blood if this... -
Infusion Nurse Blog Article on Vein Illumination DevicesAn article about vein illumination devices was posted in April 2012 to the Infusion Nurse Blog. The article explains that the devices,"can make the venipuncture experience much more tolerable, improves patient satisfaction and eliminates sticking patients veins blindly." The Infusion Nurse Blog is written by Cora Vizcarra. Cora is a certified registered nurse in infusion... -
Nursery Expansion Includes State-of-the-Art EquipmentAn article ran today in the online edition of the Summerville Patch highlighting the expansion of the nursery at Summerville Medical Center (Scott's account!) in South Carolina. The article mentions their advanced technology, including an Accuvein device that reduces the number of IV and blood draw sticks in neonates. Read the article here -
Blood ExposureMany jobs have occupational hazards but being a nurse is one occupation that carries the possibility of blood exposure or exposure to other bodily fluids. One of the many reasons that nursing is not for the faint of heart. With roughly 385,000 annual needle stick sharps injuries in the United States it is possible... -
Vein Illumination in Vascular SurgeryLocating veins is critical for many medical procedures that require vein access or avoidance. These procedures include IV starts, blood draw, sclerotherapy, general and cosmetic surgery. The AccuVein AV400 is the industry leading vein illumination device that facilitates locating peripheral vasculature by displaying a map of the vasculature directly on the patient’s skin. What are... -
Tips for Efficient IV Starts Article Recommends Vein Finding TechnologiesThe January issue of Outpatient Surgery Magazine includes the article "8 Tips for Efficient IV Catheterization". Tip #4 recommends investing in vein finding technologies. In the article Sarah Johnson, perianesthesia nurse manager at the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center, an AccuVein customer, is quoted saying what a "huge help" the device has been. You'll... -
AccuVein Aids in Vein Graft HarvestAn article appeared in The European Journal for Plastic Surgery that describes a novel application of the AccuVein vein illumination device. The article states, "This device is ideally suited to providing a map of the superficial veins to aid vein graft harvest and other plastic surgery procedures. Vein grafts are frequently used in microsurgical anastomoses to bridge vascular... -
Don't Touch Your FaceTouching your face is a common behavior and it can be difficult to realize it is happening. By touching your face you can be exposing yourself to contaminants from your surroundings and/or exposing your patients to illness if you are not well. " A behavioral observation study was undertaken involving medical students at the University of... -
Long Term Care Facility Sees Improvement with AccuVeinSt. James Rehabilitation and Healthcare is a top sub acute healthcare service, short-term rehabilitation and long term care facility in New York with 230 beds. Of the facility’s residents, 99% come directly from an acute care hospital and the average age of a resident at the facility is 83 years old. These residents tend... -
CMS "Never Events"The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has ongoing initiatives to control costs and improve patient care. The term "Never Event" was first introduced in 2001 by the National Quality Forum (NQF), in reference to particularly shocking medical errors (such as wrong-site surgery) that should never occur. Over time, the list has been expanded... -
Independent Study Finds 45% Fewer Escalations with AccuVeinUF Health Shands Hospital, a U.S. News & World Report top-ranked children’s hospital, recently completed a study which took place in six nursing units, evaluating the impact of AccuVein vein visualization on the number of times it was necessary to escalate a PIV start to central resource staff. Study results showed a 45% reduction in... -
Heat Use During Peripheral IV InsertionThe Journal of Infusion Nursing reported in their November/December 2014 issue that a survey was completed that looked at the common practices regarding heat use during PIV catheter insertion. Of the 907 healthcare workers who responded, 73% reported using heat at least sometimes to facilitate IV insertion. Only 6% reported always using heat. When... -
Vein Visualization Recommended to Improve Safety PracticesRecently the Infusion Nurses Society convened a task force of infusion therapy experts to develop recommendations to improve health care practitioner and patient safety. The findings of this task force includes their recommendation to, "Incorporate vein visualization technology as a routine strategy for patients with poor or difficult venous access." They go on to state...
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Should Infusion Teams be part of Acute Care Hospitals?Infusion therapy is invasive and touches virtually all patients entering the hospital. Given its importance, the current rates of infusion therapy complications, as well as the costs and the waste associated with it, a thorough assessment should be made of a facility’s’ outcomes related to infusion services. This is the opinion expressed in an... -
Fear of Needles is a Common PhobiaWhen researching fear of needles we find that not only do approximately 20 percent of the general population have some degree of fear associated with needles and injections, but that it's such a widespread fear that we've come across these six medical terms that are related to this fear: · Aichmophobia: an intense or morbid fear...
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Are PICC Lines as Dangerous as CVCs?A recent study has shown that Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters have the same risks of infection as Central Venous Catheters, click the link below to read the entire study. It was thought prior that CVCs had a higher rate of infection than PICC so this is interesting news. To lower the risk of Catheter...
