How to prepare for your venous blood sampling appointment

As your blood sampling appointment nears, bioniq would like to help your experience go as smoothly as possible and offer some helpful tips:

How to prepare for your venous blood sampling appointment

1.     Before you go for your appointment, please check to make sure that are no specific instructions for your test (if they are not followed, they may affect the test results)

2.     Make sure to drink plenty of water. This will increase blood volume and make blood sampling easier

3.     Unless fasting is required, eat some food to keep your glucose levels up. Low levels may lead to dizziness. Complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, whole wheat) release glucose more slowly and this may help keep you from feeling lightheaded throughout the procedure

4.     Try to wear short sleeved clothes as they will make it easier for the phlebotomist to draw your sample

5.     Try to get enough sleep the night before. This will help your overall general well-being and may keep you from feeling unwell during the procedure

What to expect?

This procedure generally takes only a few minutes. The phlebotomist examines your arm for visible veins and attaches a tourniquet to your arm. Your arm will be cleaned with alcohol pads and a needle will be inserted under the skin in order to access the vein. The tourniquet is removed after enough blood has been collected. A plaster or gauze is applied to the arm after the needle has been removed.

Some advice

1.     If you feel nervous or do not like needles talk to your medical professional, they can talk you through the procedure and make you feel as comfortable as possible

2.  If you are afraid of needles - try to distract yourself by looking away and focusing on something in the room

3.     If you start to feel unwell – tell your medical professional. The procedure can be stopped at any time

4.     Take a snack with you to eat after the procedure is completed. This will help keep your blood sugar levels regulated

5.     Keep the plaster or gauze on for a few hours after the procedure

6.     If you feel unwell sometime after the procedure reach out to a medical professional just to be on the safe side

7.   Applying  suitable pressure to the site of blood draw may reduce  possibility of bruising

8.   Slight bruising may appear where the skin was poked with the needle – this is normal and should disappear within a few days.  

After your blood sample is collected and analysed, results will appear on the bioniq App and interactive dashboard.