Capillary blood sampling

Capillary samples are taken on the side of the fingertip in adults and on the sides of the heel in infants, using a safety-engineered single-use lancet chosen by penetration depth.

Safety-engineered single-use lancets for capillary blood sampling — Sarstedt Safety-Lancet in 1.2, 1.6 and 1.8 mm penetration depth, plus test strips for blood glucose. For GP surgeries, community nursing, school health services and self-monitoring.

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FreeStyle Precision Test strips glucose 5 pcsProvtagning

29 kr23 kr excl. VAT

Available

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Lancet Safety-Lancet 1.6 mm violet child capillary samplingSarstedt

5 kr4 kr excl. VAT

Available

Lancet Safety-Lancet 1.2 mm pink infant capillary samplingSarstedt

5 kr4 kr excl. VAT

Available

Lansett — Safety-Lancet 1,8 mm grön normal kapillärprovtagning — 200stSarstedt

369 kr295 kr excl. VAT

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Lancet Safety-Lancet 1.8 mm green normal capillary samplingSarstedt

5 kr4 kr excl. VAT

Temporarily out of stock

Choose the penetration depth by who is being sampled

Sarstedt colour-codes its lancets by penetration depth: pink 1.2 mm for infants, violet 1.6 mm for children and green 1.8 mm for ordinary sampling on adults. The colour codes are the manufacturer's own — always go by the figure in millimetres, since the same colour means something else in other product families.

When it comes to depth, "more is better" does not apply. Too long a puncture hurts needlessly without giving more blood; what decides the flow is instead that the hand is warm and that the sample is taken promptly after the puncture.

How to get the sample right

Warm the hand, let the skin dry completely after disinfection and puncture on the side of the fingertip — not in the middle of the pulp, where it both hurts more and holds more sensory receptors. On infants the sample is taken on the sides of the heel, never in the middle underneath it.

Wipe away the first drop. Do not squeeze the finger to force out more blood — that mixes in tissue fluid and can give an incorrect result. The lancet is a single-use item with a shield that retracts after the puncture and is discarded in a sharps container.

Vanliga frågor om capillary blood sampling

Which lancet should be used on children?

The penetration depth should be matched to age: 1.2 mm for infants, 1.6 mm for children and 1.8 mm as the standard choice for adults. On infants the sample is also taken on the sides of the heel and not on the finger. Too long a lancet increases the pain without giving more blood.

Where on the finger should you puncture?

On the side of the fingertip, on the middle or ring finger. The skin there is thinner and the sensation less dense than in the middle of the pulp, which makes the puncture less painful. Avoid the thumb and index finger, which are used most, and avoid skin that is cold, swollen or scarred.

Why should the first drop be wiped away?

The first drop contains tissue fluid and residue from the skin, which can dilute the sample and give misleading values. Wipe it away with a dry gauze swab and use the next drop. Let the blood come by itself instead of squeezing, for the same reason.

Capillary blood sampling