When the doctor/nurse takes blood from you, why do they try to find a vein, not an artery? And also why is this mainly done on the arm as opposed to other parts of the body?
In: Biology
ED nurse here. I second the comments about arteries being deeper and harder to control the bleeding with. When you think of the body’s anatomy, an arm is much closer than a foot in relation to the heart. Veins in the feet tend to be small and fragile, meaning if you insert an IV line with the purpose of delivering intravenous fluids or medications, it may take slightly longer to take effect. Fragile veins also tend to collapse easily, meaning you’re more likely to have to repeat the procedure elsewhere, which takes time and increases the risk of infection. The cannula goes directly into the vein so walking around with an iv line in your foot is certainly going to increase your chances of transferring an infection to the site, as opposed to an arm.
In a resuscitation scenario, you want a big vein, close to the torso like by the elbow joint or higher where it can be absorbed quickly and effectively.
We try to choose a vein that is more practical for a patient when we have the opportunity. The patient’s capabilities are taken into consideration also. A confused, restless person probably will bump or pull out a line in their hand more than maybe say their elbow or elsewhere.
There are times when people simply have difficult, fragile, rolling or spidery veins. In those cases we try wherever we can and use various tricks like heat, fluids an ultrasound to help find the best vein.
I hope this helps!
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