Out Like A Light

Before becoming an MLT, I was employed as a Clinical Laboratory Assistant. I clearly remember my VERY exciting first week with my first CLA position. I was still new at drawing blood, but was becoming more confident as time went on.

I was on a hot streak of no missed sticks for that particular day, so I was feeling pretty great! Until my next patient walked in the door. A woman, roughly in her 30s, approached with her husband. She was visibly nervous, and I anticipated that this might be difficult. She stated that she was here to have her prenatal workup drawn, which consisted of 9 tubes to be drawn.

She made it very clear that the only reason she was even attempting to go through with this was for their unborn baby. Her husband was incredibly sweet, coaching her through the entire ordeal. I did my best to calm and assure her throughout the entire process. I let her know that I was going to make sure that I found a great vein first, so this could be done as easily and painlessly as possible. If I was even the least bit unsure, I would deflect to our “pro” lab assistant that has been drawing for 10+ years.

Fortunately she had an excellent vein so that wasn’t a concern, but the moment that she saw me preparing my tubes and needle, the patient began to hyperventilate. I stopped what I was doing and attempted to calm her down more before we began, all the while her husband was incredibly supportive and caring. I gave the patient some time to go relax, while I worked on other patients. 30 minutes later she came back ready to try again. She cried softly, but asked me to proceed all the same.

Thankfully, the stick went smoothly, and as I started filling her tubes the patient began to laugh and apologize for her previous reaction (of course I assured her it was no problem at all). At just that moment I glanced over at her husband, who had turned GHOST white. The patient called his name, but within the same second her husband dropped to the floor.

The doting husband, instead of my terrified patient, is the one who passed out!

My patient instantly began to shriek “OH MY GOD WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM? IS HE GOING INTO SHOCK?!? OH MY GOD HE’S GOING INTO SHOCK!!!” all while we have other draw stations being used by -now mortified- patients, and a waiting room full of startled people. My coworker is able to pull the emergency alarm while I (somewhat miraculously) finished the blood draw. The husband came to within just a few seconds, but that’s all it took for the patient to become completely inconsolable, and scare the remaining folks in our lobby. Within a minute of recovering, the husband was already trying to soothe his poor wife!

I’ve heard of husbands experiencing sympathy pains during a pregnancy, but never sympathy syncope!

Submitted by:
Athena Layman
Laboratory Technician
Utah, USA