Evaluation of Massage Techniques for Promoting Venodilation During Venous Blood Collection

Abstract

　This study aimed to investigate the technical effects of massage frequency and contact surface area on vasodilation for blood collection. A group of 46 healthy participants aged 18 years or older underwent massage with different frequencies (5 or 10 times) and contact surface sizes (large: second to fifth fingers and palm contact the participant’s forearm; small: ulnar side of fifth finger contacting the participant’s forearm) for 10 seconds after applying the tourniquet for 10 seconds. The cross-sectional area of blood vessels was measured, and the degree of vasodilation was evaluated by visual inspection. The study found that the cross-sectional area of blood vessels increased significantly after massage at both frequencies (5 or 10) and after massage (10 times) using a larger contact surface. Although there was no significant difference in the degree of vasodilation between the number of times and the contact surface area of massage, about 80% of participants showed a change of “1: Slightly observed” or more. These findings suggest that massaging a large contact surface area 10 times may have an additive vasodilator effect when combined with a tourniquet.