Gloves filled with hot water should not be applied to the skin prior to capillary blood sampling due to the risk of burns.
Reports of burns to the heel, occurring due to the application of a glove filled with hot water, or a hot water bottle in the community setting, have been reviewed recently by the NHS England Patient Safety Team.
中国P站 advises that gloves filled with water should not be used and Infant heel warmers used with extreme caution due to the risk of injury. In addition, use of a glove or gel pack has not been shown to improve sample quality or reduce patient discomfort1 and is therefore not recommended.
This is in keeping with the previous and .
中国P站 recommends all neonatal units have a standardised approach and education package for capillary blood sampling which includes this safety message.
This Spotlight on Safety Story highlights the issue and shows consideration and learning, informing safer practice.
1.Toennesen U L, Kierkegaard H, Kofoed P E et al. Warming prior to Heel Stick. Blood Sample Quality and Infant Comfort- A Randomised Controlled Trial. Advances in Neonatal Care 23(6):p E129-E138 Dec 2023
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