I was wondering if anybody else has had experience with hospitals and alerting them that they cannot access your mastectomy / lymphodema arm for blood pressure cuffs or bloods?
If so, what policy/measures did that hospital use and or how did you make sure your arm was not compromised?
When I had my mastectomy and axiliary lymph node clearance a year ago, the local private hospital used a pink armband to denote the lymphodema arm that was not to be used for blood pressure cuffs or needles to take blood.
During my recent hospitalization in a large public hospital for the secondary brain tumor resection, I informed the nurse that my right arm was not to be used for bloods or BP's. (Something that those of you who have had axiliary clearance of lymph nodes will have had drummed into you by your physio and medical team).
I was told that they do not use the arm band alert system for either allergy alerts or lymphodema arm, in case the band comes off. Instead they write alert in patient notes and rely on that. I did suggest she write on my affected arm, which she did but high up near the shoulder where it was covered by my gown.
My sister brought in her own permanent marker and also wrote "no BP's or bloods" on my affected forearm where it was more prominently visible.
It was surprising the number of times, nursing and medical staff still tried to use the arm and questioned why not. Especially when the "good" arm was inundated with cannulas, arterial lines and the like. The blood nurse had fun trying to find a new vein every day on an already heavily utilized and bruised "good" arm.
I even resorted to hiding my lymphodema arm under the blankets and leaving the "good" arm on top while I slept so that nurses would use that for their regular obs. It did not help that my "bad" arm was closest to the door.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Do hospitals need to unify a policy with regard to this issue?
Published 14 years ago
Version 1.0
