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I am sorry for your experience, but in a newborn this will also probably be of limited use. Note that the signal to noise ratio will be very low in a newborn,

I am sorry for your experience, but in a newborn this will also probably be of limited use. Note that the signal to noise ratio will be very low in a newborn, smaller humans means smaller vessels and less blood pressure. If it was my child I would much rather have an ultrasound guided cannulation then to trust this device. The reality is that although it looks very flashy it will have limited use other than maybe training very junior nurses/doctors.

sergers 4y ago
Had my daughter in hospital with viral infection, 5 months old, (2020 Canada). They couldn't use the veinfinder on her due to her vessels being so small to insert a IV. After multiple frustrating failed attempts by the nursing staff during a change, they had to bring in NICU specialist.
6stringmerc 4y ago
Phlebotomy is a respectable job in my opinion, and not everyone has the hand skill for hitting veins. I’ve stopped bad nurses from chopping me up before. They can get uppity but I’ve got 10,000 more punctures and counting to my name and I’ll be damned if I let pride get in the way of competence when it comes to medicine. I’m not a know it all but there’s some real hagiography around power dynamics and treating illnesses versus coming up with a health plan. All this to note that it is a genuine skill and if this helps, great, but don’t go helping the lowest common denominator that doesn’t deserve it. Can’t hit a vein? Give it to someone who can, immediately.
- social_quotient 4y ago
  I agree 100% My high school had a phlebotomy track after you took anatomy physiology and I was able to get good enough to get my first job at Scott & White here in Texas. I then used those skills to work 30 hours a weekend (Friday - Sunday) to pay for college. The hardest part was the field work, nursing homes, if you could not get the blood there was no backup like at the hospital so it typically forced bad techs to go hunting for a different job. I would go home and practice on various speaker cable to get the feel for hard veins. This job was filled with pride, challenges, character building traits, and it paid the bills. $17.5/hr back in years 98->20, was far better than most of my friends jobs. No complaints here and a lot of respect for the craft. Without this job I likely would not have been able to start my software company 22 years ago.
  - 6stringmerc 4y ago
    Holy smokes almost $20 an hour around 2000 is a good way to go, thanks for sharing and I really appreciate the story. Never heard the speaker cable thing! When I get together with my community I’ll share it with parents and the thought leaders because it’s hard to take that job forced on you. Ports are everywhere now, which for the elderly must be good. Fascinating story and I’m sad to think 22 years later it’s probably about the same pay rate. Honorable gig. Nice to hear how it can be a steeping stone for use of talent as well! Ps - I heard Chuck kind of came up with Fight Club while driving cancer patients and other terminal patients to appointments when not working as a diesel mechanic.
andylynch 4y ago
Strongly disagree; this is a really useful tool, even for experienced phlebotomists. They recently got one of these at a clinic someone very close to me attends regularly. Even skilled nurses can struggle to find usable veins when treating folks who’ve had many needles put in over the years; in those cases using this saves a great deal of time and pain for everyone involved.

sergers 4y ago

Had my daughter in hospital with viral infection, 5 months old, (2020 Canada). They couldn't use the veinfinder on her due to her vessels being so small to insert a IV. After multiple frustrating failed attempts by the nursing staff during a change, they had to bring in NICU specialist.

6stringmerc 4y ago

Phlebotomy is a respectable job in my opinion, and not everyone has the hand skill for hitting veins. I’ve stopped bad nurses from chopping me up before. They can get uppity but I’ve got 10,000 more punctures and counting to my name and I’ll be damned if I let pride get in the way of competence when it comes to medicine. I’m not a know it all but there’s some real hagiography around power dynamics and treating illnesses versus coming up with a health plan. All this to note that it is a genuine skill and if this helps, great, but don’t go helping the lowest common denominator that doesn’t deserve it. Can’t hit a vein? Give it to someone who can, immediately.

social_quotient 4y ago
I agree 100% My high school had a phlebotomy track after you took anatomy physiology and I was able to get good enough to get my first job at Scott & White here in Texas. I then used those skills to work 30 hours a weekend (Friday - Sunday) to pay for college. The hardest part was the field work, nursing homes, if you could not get the blood there was no backup like at the hospital so it typically forced bad techs to go hunting for a different job. I would go home and practice on various speaker cable to get the feel for hard veins. This job was filled with pride, challenges, character building traits, and it paid the bills. $17.5/hr back in years 98->20, was far better than most of my friends jobs. No complaints here and a lot of respect for the craft. Without this job I likely would not have been able to start my software company 22 years ago.
- 6stringmerc 4y ago
  Holy smokes almost $20 an hour around 2000 is a good way to go, thanks for sharing and I really appreciate the story. Never heard the speaker cable thing! When I get together with my community I’ll share it with parents and the thought leaders because it’s hard to take that job forced on you. Ports are everywhere now, which for the elderly must be good. Fascinating story and I’m sad to think 22 years later it’s probably about the same pay rate. Honorable gig. Nice to hear how it can be a steeping stone for use of talent as well! Ps - I heard Chuck kind of came up with Fight Club while driving cancer patients and other terminal patients to appointments when not working as a diesel mechanic.

andylynch 4y ago

Strongly disagree; this is a really useful tool, even for experienced phlebotomists. They recently got one of these at a clinic someone very close to me attends regularly. Even skilled nurses can struggle to find usable veins when treating folks who’ve had many needles put in over the years; in those cases using this saves a great deal of time and pain for everyone involved.