Evaluation of a sterile surgical skin marker to indicate the optimal vein for venepuncture in the blood donation setting

Abstract

Background and objectivesPhlebotomy is a central task for blood donation; however, not all blood donors have veins that are easy to see or feel. This study aimed to determine whether use of a surgical skin marker to highlight the donors’ vein location and direction prior to venepuncture increased blood donation success.MethodsAll blood donors who participated in this study were eligible to donate according to Australian guidelines. Ten donor centres with phlebotomy success rates <95% were selected. A randomized cluster trial design assigned five sites to test the skin marking device and five sites as controls. Single‐use sterile Gentian violet skin marker pens were used to mark donors’ veins. Phlebotomy site skin bacterial load after using the skin marking device was tested on a subset of 100 donors. Phlebotomy success rates and donor adverse events were recorded.ResultsOf the control donors, 6993 had successful phlebotomies and 225 failed. Of the skin marker donors, 6998 had successful phlebotomies and 248 failed. No statistically significant differences in phlebotomy success were found between the two groups (OR: 0·91, 96·4% CI [96·0, 96·8], P‐value 0·348).ConclusionThe use of skin marker pens did not increase overall phlebotomy success rate. There was no increase in phlebotomy site skin bacterial load, and amendments to standard skin disinfection techniques were not required. Blood donors were not concerned about the pen mark on their arms. Generally, staff indicated that the markers may be valuable to assist with phlebotomies for donors with difficult or deep veins.

Effect of Intelligent Operating Hole Towel in Cataract Patients

“…The new intelligent ophthalmic operating towel is based on the disposable ophthalmic operating towel and adds intelligent design in the key link of “operation cloth.” Currently, the surgical marker used in ophthalmology is an oily marker, which can only be used for cosmetic surgical markers [ 6 , 7 ]. Special intelligent material is used in the new special intelligent surgical marker pen, which can react with the intelligent material of the surgical hole towel when completing the marking [ 8 , 9 ]. The voice chip is embedded in the new smart surgical towel.…”