Question

Which of the following actions is the first that should be taken immediately after withdrawing the needle from the patient?

a) Apply pressure to the puncture site with a dry cotton ball or gauze pad.
b) Recap the needle and dispose of it in the sharps container.
c) Observe for signs of bleeding or hematoma formation.
d) Disinfect the puncture site with alcohol.

Answer 1

The immediate step after needle withdrawal is to apply pressure to prevent bleeding, followed by disposing of the needle in a sharps container and observing for complications.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first action that should be taken immediately after withdrawing the needle from a patient is to apply pressure to the puncture site with a dry cotton ball or gauze pad. This step is vital to prevent bleeding and to help with the closure of the puncture site in the skin. Afterwards, it's essential to observe for any signs of bleeding or hematoma formation, and then dispose of the needle safely without recapping into a sharps container. The puncture site should have already been disinfected with alcohol before the needle was inserted, so additional disinfecting after withdrawal is not the immediate step unless specified by the procedure's protocol.