Blood Sampling From Scalp Arteries

I would like to offer a comment to Schlueter et al. regarding their report on blood sampling from scalp in the January 1973 issue of Pediatrics. One should not be discouraged by the occasionally sluggish blood flow from a scalp artery. Letting it flow through the butterfly infusion set without applying pressure to the syringe, we have been able invariably to fill, at least, the infusion set system. We then replace the cap, withdraw and bend the needle, and send the butterfly set to the laboratory.