How to Do a Blood Pressure Cuff for a Bleeding Time
A bleeding time test assesses clotting ability with regard to vasoconstriction and platelet response, and can also be an indicator of congenital and acquired blood disorders. These include Hodgkin's disease, acute leukemia, liver disease and defects in platelet function. There are four types of bleeding time tests: the template method, the Ivy method, the Duke method and the modified template method. With each, the health-care professional breaks the patient's skin and the time is measured until the cuts stop bleeding.
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Things You'll Need
- Rubber gloves
- Alcohol swab
- Blood pressure cuff
- Sterilized, disposable lancet or needle
- Stop watch
- Blotting paper
- Gauze
- Bandage
Instructions
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1
Put the rubber gloves on your hand and instruct the patient to roll up his sleeve to expose his arm from the shoulder to the wrist.
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2
Determine the incision site on the forearm, and swab with alcohol.
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3
Place the blood pressure cuff on the upper forearm, and secure it in place with the Velcro. The cuff should be tight enough that it stays in place without you holding it.
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4
Inflate the blood pressure cuff to 40 mmHg with the hand squeeze, and lock the valve closed so it remains at 40 mmHg.
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5
Place the template on the incision site and make two tiny cuts with the lancet. Immediately deflate the blood pressure cuff and start the stop watch.
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6
Touch a fresh piece of blotting paper to the cuts every 30 seconds and record how long it takes for the bleeding to stop.
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7
Remove the blood pressure cuff and wipe the incision sites with the gauze to remove any excess blood. Cover the incision sites with a bandage.
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Tips & Warnings
This article describes the template method. To perform the Ivy method, three small punctures are made rather than two incisions. The blood pressure cuff and blotting procedures are the same. The Duke method uses incisions on the earlobe, with no blood pressure cuff, but the same blotting and timing procedures. The modified template method uses a spring-loaded blade to make the two incisions, while everything else is the same as the template method.
A bleeding time test should only be performed by a licensed medical professional in a clinical setting.
Dispose of the lancet or needle in a bio-hazard "sharps" box, and all other materials in a bio-hazard safe container.
