Article References: Venepuncture - Medical Litigation News

1. AUTHOR	McConnell-A-A, Mackay-G-M.
INSTITUTION	Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust, UK.
TITLE	Venepuncture: the medicolegal hazards.
SOURCE	Postgrad-Med-J 1996 Jan, VOL: 72 (843), P: 23-4, ISSN: 0032-5473.
ABSTRACT	Venepuncture is commonly regarded as a trivial procedure allocated to the most junior medical staff. The result of this policy is that junior doctors are required to perform a minimally invasive procedure on consenting patients without any structured venepuncture training or assessment. Consequently, inexperienced doctors may perform multiple and sometimes unnecessary, venepunctures, which could damage essential venous access, eg, in the diabetic or renal patient. We review the medicolegal position and suggest that structured venepuncture training is essential and argue that unskilled treatment may be regarded by the Courts as demonstrating the mens rea of assault in the form of recklessness. Author.

2. AUTHOR	Krogh-C-M-E.
TITLE	Compendium of pharmaceuticals and specialties.
SOURCE	Canadian Pharmaceutical Association, 1997: 761.

3. AUTHOR	Campbell-J.
TITLE	Making sense of the technique of venepuncture.
SOURCE	Nurs-Times 1995 Aug 2-8, VOL: 91 (31), P: 29-31, ISSN: 0029-6589.
ABSTRACT	Venepuncture is a skill being undertaken by an increasing number of nurses. This paper describes the steps to be taken together with some of the measures employed to avoid problems. Author.