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Does anyone have a port for IVs and other needles?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/20/2012 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
After being poked for the millionth time in the past few months, I'm seriously wondering if I should get a port instead of trying to find a vein for IVs, blood tests, Remicade infusions, ER trips, etc. Each time I go in for any of these, it usually takes over half an hour and at least two nurses. It's worst when I'm in pain and can't get any pain meds because they can't get a needle into the vein. I have so much scar tissue and am dehydrated a lot of the time (even though I try to drink plenty of fluids).

I know there's concern about getting infections, though. Any thoughts?
Posted 11/23/2012 10:26 AM (GMT 0)
dont have a port but do have a central line.. not really something to mess around with just for bllod draws and stuff.. just my opinion. i would find better phlebotomists... have them use an ultra sound machine to locate veins.. very blood draw place or er should have one. unless your in some 2nd world country or something
Posted 11/25/2012 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
I was thinking about getting an implanted port. Sometimes it is not just a case of better phlebotomists. I have a great deal of scar tissue in the veins. The place I got to to get blood drawn "no longer uses butterfly needles"( a cost thing I was told). I had one surgery doc tell me that it is better to have a PICC line put in when you need it rather than the port b/c medical personel leave needles in the port(increased infection) than to do the central line. Food for thaught.
Posted 11/26/2012 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have had a port for a little over 2 years. I had been getting Remicade for a little over a year when I got the port at the suggestion of my infusion nurses. My veins are small and they roll.

Mine is awesome for infusions but it doesn't always give blood return. It is only somewhat useful for blood draws because the average lab doesn't have personnel who are trained to safely access ports. You definitely don't want anyone messing with it who isn't properly trained because of the infection risk.

The infusion clinic can draw labwork for me if I need some around infusion time. Otherwise I get blood drawn the old fashioned way, with multiple sticks :-/

Oddly enough, sometimes when I have mentioned having the port in the ER I've been told not to let anyone other than infusion nurses use it, and other times I've been told "Oh, I wish you had told us you had that, we could have used it!" I guess in the ER it just depends on who is on staff on a given shift.
Posted 11/26/2012 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
I've had my port for just over a year now.  My veins were awful, so its been a great blessing for me.  The only thing I would change is to ask about a power port.  Mine is just a normal port and they can't give me IV contrast thru it for CT scans.  But for fluids, meds and blood work its great.  When its not accessed I live a normal life.

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