Campbell County Memorial Hospital
Maternal Child Nurse Amy Ashbeck watched as the veins in her hand glowed red when the new
Accuvein device was passed over them. Campbell County Health is now using the new
tool for vein visualization in the
Lab,
Emergency Department,
Heptner Cancer Center and Maternal Child units. Because it uses infrared light to project the
exact location of veins beneath the surface of the skin, Accuvein can
help make a blood draw or an IV placement easier and less painful for
patients of all ages.
The device is about the size of a TV remote and is already used at more
than 3,000 other healthcare facilities in the US and can improve the success
rate of getting a blood draw or IV insertion on the first try by as much
as 350%. Because a blood draw or IV placement is one of the most common
medical procedures for patients in the hospital, it’s a great tool
to help improve their experience.
“We use it when we have to start an IV on a baby in our Level II
nursery,” said Amy, a certified registered nurse and the Clinical
Educator for the Level II nursery at CCMH. “Babies, especially newborns,
have very small veins, and we really want to get an IV done right the
first time for the sake of both the baby and the mom.”
Accuvein also works well for people who have veins that are deep, difficult
to find, or for cancer patients whose veins have been affected by chemotherapy.
“It’s really cool technology that makes us more effective at
our jobs”, says Amy. “The faster the nurse or technologist
can insert an IV, the faster the patient can get the medication they need
to start feeling better.”