Obtaining Coagulation Blood Samples From Central Venous Access Devices: A Review of the Literature.

Central venous access devices are used for chemotherapy and other medication administration, blood product administration, parenteral nutrition, and for obtaining blood samples in patients where the vasculature is difficult to access. Patients may need additional blood samples prior to invasive procedures and when clinical situations arise during cancer care. In addition, monitoring coagulability through ongoing blood testing is common in patients with cancer and requires repeated sampling to adjust anticoagulant medications.