Comparison of the Impact of Phlebotomy Method on Physiologic and Behavioral Metrics of Pain and Distress in Mice

Nonterminal blood collection from mice is frequently performed in biomedical research. Multiple phlebotomy sites and restraint techniques are available to investigators. Methods that minimize pain and distress in mice can improve the accuracy and reproducibility of research data as well as improve animal welfare. Collection site can influence physiologic parameters, and phlebotomy techniques vary in feasibility and the amount of training required. The methods used to compare the impact of various phlebotomy techniques on animal welfare and data quality vary, making it difficult to compare between studies. Additionally, recommendations proposed by individual studies, institutions, and working groups vary. At Cornell, we recently compared phlebotomy via tail tip amputation to the more commonly used techniques of facial vein puncture and tail vein incision to guide our institutional policies (Moore, ES et al., JAALAS. 2017;56(3)). In this presentation, I will provide an overview of recent publications, including a review of our study, evaluating the impact of rodent phlebotomy technique on parameters of pain and distress.