Current Legislation Essay

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1.1 Describe current legislation, national guidelines, local policies, protocols and good practice guidelines which relate to obtaining and testing capillary blood samples. There are many different places to find current legislation, guidelines and protocols for obtaining and testing capillary blood samples. These include NICE guidelines, DOH, HSE, WHO guidelines and also my local policies and protocols written by BCH which are easily available on the intranet and policies folder. The Mental Health Act 2005 to assess capacity is also relevant to this area as I must gain valid consent from a patient prior to taking any sample. I also have a duty of care to my patients and to meet this I attended a study day and will attend updates every…show more content…
There are 13 different clotting factors (proteins) found in the blood which are inactive until a vessel is cut. These clotting factors all react in a certain order to form a clot and stop…show more content…
Small blood cells called platelets then stick to the site of injury and spread along the surface of the blood vessel to stop the bleeding. They release chemical signals that attract other cells to the area and make them join together to form a platelet plug. On the surface of these activated platelets, many different clotting factors work together in a series of chemical reactions which is known as the coagulation cascade. Thin strands of a protein called fibrin form a mesh and trap blood cells and platelets to form a solid clot. There are a few conditions that have an effect on the clotting process. Vitamin K deficiency, leukaemia, liver disorders and genetic conditions may cause complications to the clotting process as well as medications such as aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban and clexane. 4.12 Explain the action to be taken if complications and problems occur during the collection of capillary blood samples, including contra-indications There are a few complications’ that can occur whilst taking a capillary blood samples. Examples of these are : • Excessive bleeding – pressure should be applied for a few minutes and then reassessed • Bruising of the puncture site – firm pressure after sample has been taken and use of the correct lancet should minimise this • Skin breakdown from excessive use of the same site – change sites regularly with the patients consent

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