A Comparative Study of Heel-stick Devices for Infant Blood Collection

• Objective. —To evaluate two heel-stick devices by comparing the volume of blood collected, blood sampling time, amount of hemolysis, pain inflicted during the procedure, and extent of bruising. Design. —Randomized trial. Setting. —Primary care center in a tertiary-level perinatal hospital. Participants. —Forty healthy, full-term newborns with a postnatal age of greater than 24 hours. Newborns were fed no more than 1½ hours before blood sample collection and fulfilled the requirement for routine phenylketonuria and thyroid screening. Interventions. —Newborns were allocated to a single stab with either an automated incision or a lancet puncture device. Measurements/Main Results. —The total volume of blood and blood sampling time were significantly better with the automated incision device ( P P Conclusions. —The larger volume of blood obtained within a shorter period for blood collection and reduced hemolysis with the automated incision device make it a preferred instrument for neonatal blood collection. ( AJDC . 1993;147:346-348)