In patients with severe edema, what palpation method is recommended when preparing for venipuncture?

• A. Shallow palpation
• B. Deep palpation
• C. Two-handed palpation
• D. No palpation

Answer: (B)

When swelling hides veins, you have to look beyond the surface to find a usable vein. Deep palpation reaches beneath the edematous tissue to feel for a vein that lies deeper in the limb. This helps you identify a vein that is still compressible and suitable for venipuncture, which shallow palpation might miss because the edemas can obscure or compress superficial vessels. If you don’t palpate deeply, you may fail to locate a viable vein and have to repeat the procedure or choose a less ideal site. The other options don’t address the problem edema creates: shallow palpation may not detect hidden veins, and no palpation provides no information about where a vein might be. Two-handed palpation isn’t specifically necessary for this context, whereas deep palpation directly helps locate deeper vessels under swelling.