Introduction: This study evaluated whether tapping enhances vasodilation in individuals with veins that are relatively difficult to palpate.

Materials And Methods: Twenty participants (4 men and 16 women, aged 19-22 years) with cutaneous veins that were relatively difficult to palpate even after tourniquet application were recruited. A crossover trial with/without tapping (10 times in 5 s) was performed under tourniquet inflation on the upper arm. Vasodilation was evaluated by venous cross-sectional area, depth of the vein, and elevation of the overlying skin by ultrasonography. Venous palpation scores were also measured. The degree of improvement was estimated by simulation.

Results: In total, 60% of participants "sometimes" or "often" experienced unsuccessful venipuncture. After the tapping procedure, the venous cross-sectional area significantly increased (14.6 ± 9.12 mm for control and 15.2 ± 9.79 mm for tapping) and venous depth significantly decreased (4.57 ± 2.31 mm for control and 4.23 ± 2.41 mm for tapping). A simulation study using these values suggested that tapping increased the longitudinal and crosswise successful ranges of venipuncture by 5-6%.

Conclusions: Tapping in this study enhanced the vasodilation of cutaneous veins that are relatively difficult to palpate. The effectiveness of various vasodilation methods may be compared through the estimation of improvement.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ca.23559DOI Listing

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