I was given an injection with a baby needle on my elbow pit. The nurse had to switch veins 4 times (twice in left arm, twice in right arm) and still didn’t manage to give me the injection. I was told it was because I felt nervous so it made my veins “disappeared”. How is that possible ?
In: Biology
As someone who has started hundreds of IVs, this might be true, but in my experience, it’s likely the person with the needle. Some are just better at getting the veins than others. You’re essentially trying to stick a needle in a floppy noodle without seeing it. They move, and unless you can feel it, you miss.
Also, everyone is different. I have straight thick veins, and I’ve had a patient whose veins didn’t have a straight section longer than an inch or so. That was a tough stick. But theoretically, adrenaline/constriction could have something to do with it.
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