Medical tape cut off blood flow to fetus?

[tr8700]

TL;DR Summary

Medical tape cut off blood flow to fetus?

I got blood drawn at my first prenatal appointment at 8 weeks. The nurse who drew my blood wrapped the medical tape tightly all the way around my arm and I didn’t take it off until the next day even though it made moving my arm uncomfortable. When I took it off, there was a deep imprint and red mark where the tape had been. Did leaving the tape on for so long act as a tourniquet and restrict blood flow to the fetus? Thanks in advance

 

[berkeman]

The thin rubber band that is used during blood draws can be called a tourniquet, but it only applies light pressure and only slightly restricts venous flow back to the heart. The idea is to cause the veins to swell a bit to make them easier to find in order to draw blood or start an IV.

Most likely you are referring to the Coban or similar bandage tape that is used to hold the gauze dressing in place over your antecubital vein (inside your elbow joint) for 5-10 minutes to help stop any bleeding from the blood draw site. Those bandages are quite gentle, and do not restrict any blood flow.

If you left that Coban on for a day, it's not surprising that it might cause skin irritation. We are not allowed to give medical advice here, so my only comments about whether this could hurt blood flow to your fetus would be to remind you that your fetus is not growing in your hand, and to ask your doctor about any of your concerns.

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