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?

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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

11 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The veins in your arm are the easiest to access and the least painful place to get stuck with a needle.

_Edit: apparently the info below isn’t really relevant. I stand corrected._
You want the sharp tip to be pointed away from oncoming cells, so they don’t get impaled or otherwise damaged. The reason for veins is for convenience – the needle is inserted in the direction of blood flow, and it’s much easier to insert it away from the hand.

Otherwise the doctor/nurse would need to stand behind the patient to get the right angle.

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