avoiding hitting an artery & info about collapsed veins?

[onlyone3232]

I'm new to IVing & dont wanna ever hit an artery.
im just wondering what happens if u do hit an artery & how to avoid hitting them?

I only shoot in the normal spot. between the arm & forearm. Is there any artery's near there.
and if there is do ya have to go really deep to find them?
I only shoot in the veins I can see near the surface anyway. Why would u shoot anywhere else?

I dont understand how some ppl get all there veins collapsed. after a couple of weeks can ya shoot in them again or do they stay permanently ruined?
there seems like a hell of alot of veins in just one arm. How is it possible that ppl get all there veins collapsed?

How do u know if they're collapsed?

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Hah, okay..where to begin..

First off..check the IV megathread as it's full of basic IV information. http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/...ation-MEGATHREAD-and-FAQ-II-show-me-the-blood

Now, arteries exist all over the body.. look at a diagram and you'll see just how many there are. They are more prevalent and easier to hit by accident by places that have a pulse. You'll know that you have accidentally hit an artery if you draw back on the plunger to register and the blood that comes into the rig is very bright. It sometimes even has enough pressure to push the plunger back. You will also know, if you push down on the plunger to inject and you feel an intense burning sensation. If the burning sensation keeps happening even after you reregister and see blood, you are in an artery. If you do actually fully inject into an artery, (which pumps blood away from your heart) you will get intense pain, a nice lump, and swelling in your extremities.

Your veins will not collapse after a "couple of weeks" It takes years usually to destroy a vein like that. The reason why it happens..is because the longer you are an IV user..the more damage you do to your veins. One vein goes bad and you find another.. etc. etc.. eventually the good veins you are speaking of will be unusable, and therefore the only other options are hands, wrists, feet, etc..

And, it's "possible for people to get all of their veins collapsed" because after you have been using for years upon years, you inflict damage.. Veins aren't invincible..and after enough punishment, they'll die.

You sound painfully new to IV'ing..dangerously new. You don't know anyone that can teach you the basics and proper technique? You can only learn so much on a site like this.. someone ideally needs to show you.

 

[effie]

^ good advice here

It is vital that you can tell the difference between a vein and an artery before you go near it with a needle. Have a practice with a blood vessel map as mr scagnattie suggested. The colour of blood is not hugely reliable - bright blood is a sign you should stop the shot, but dark blood does not necessarily = venous blood, so be careful about that. Arterial injection can cause arteriospasm and you can potentially lose a limb, so if you do hit one get it seen to as an emergency.

It is possible to destroy your veins in a matter of months if you have poor technique, i have seen it happen. Make sure you use a fresh needle every time, and if you miss don't go jabbing about without switching needles either - they become blunt very fast and do a lot of damage which can lead to scarring and collapse. You also need to rotate your sites, filter well and try to stay away from thin or fragile veins. The best place is where you are going, then the forearm. Hands and feet have a higher risk of infecton, thrombosis and other complications, and as the veins are smaller you are more likely to do permanent damage too. Anywhere else is getting very risky.

Once veins are collapsed/scarred/thrombosed the are highly unlikely to recover. Your body develops a collateral circulation (veins bypassing the blockage) but these vessels tend to be very small and fragile, and not suitable for intravenous injections.

The brachial artery runs through your antecubital fossa (inner elbow/crook) - it usually lies in between the two main veins there, but towards the inner side of your arm (nearer the body if your arms are held out in front of you). It is usually a bit deeper than the veins, but individual anatomy can vary. There are also a couple of nerves in the vicinity. This is why it is important you have identified a vein before you inject, rather than randomly digging about.

Arteries and nerves in the arm:

Reused needle:

Plenty of vein maps found on google, and lots of info in the thread linked in the above post

 

[killik420]

dude ur veins dont come back for a grip i cant even get blood draws cause that shit

 

[Epische]

I put a saline lock in a guys arm once and hit an artery. The lock instantly pulsed full of blood and when we removed it, blood shot across the field. Trust me, you'll know when something is wrong.

 

[Swain]

I'm new to IVing & dont wanna ever hit an artery.
im just wondering what happens if u do hit an artery & how to avoid hitting them?

I only shoot in the normal spot. between the arm & forearm. Is there any artery's near there.
and if there is do ya have to go really deep to find them?
I only shoot in the veins I can see near the surface anyway. Why would u shoot anywhere else?

I dont understand how some ppl get all there veins collapsed. after a couple of weeks can ya shoot in them again or do they stay permanently ruined?
there seems like a hell of alot of veins in just one arm. How is it possible that ppl get all there veins collapsed?

How do u know if they're collapsed?

When you hit an artery you may or may not know until you start pushing the plunger. The pain will be immense as soon as you push a single unit and it will travel away from youe heart. STOP INJECTING IMMEDIATELY. You could loose your arm. I have heard an artery having enough pressure that itd push the plunget back but I was n an artey once and the color of the blood nor the pressure warned me.. luckily II only pushed 2 units max.

Do not inject in hands or feet or wrists as nerves arteries and veins are entangled and all over the place.. not to mention low fat, as a beginner you WILL miss and you dont wanna miss in a hand or foot.. its terrible.

Your veins will not be collapsed if you are a new user lol. Collapsed usually happens from abuse over time.. it just means they no longer are carrying blood, you can not register in them anymore or push off into them. You can collapse a vein if you have bad technique too and either create too much of a vacuum or forgot to unti your tourni and push a large shot blowin the vein

Arteries are all over, but they are deeper generally speaking. Google veins and arteries in bodies and educate your self with some pictures.. text can not do it justice.

Dont make the mistake and reuse pins.. especially if you are poking around trying to register dont keep using the same pin!!! you are going to kil your veins. If you use a new pin for every single time you pierce the skin, and rotate spots, your veins will NOT collapse. I have been using the same veins for 5 years atleast and not one has collapsed. I use 29g pins and I NEVER reuse. I rotate about 6 sites and even fi i am binging hard these puppies stay strong. My veins are not the big plumpy veins you see on some people either, they are barely visible. It just goes to show with a little skill patience and technique anyone can iv with100% accuracy. fat skinny good veins or bad.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

When you hit an artery you may or may not know until you start pushing the plunger. The pain will be immense as soon as you push a single unit and it will travel away from youe heart. STOP INJECTING IMMEDIATELY. You could loose your arm. I have heard an artery having enough pressure that itd push the plunget back but I was n an artey once and the color of the blood nor the pressure warned me.. luckily II only pushed 2 units max.

Do not inject in hands or feet or wrists as nerves arteries and veins are entangled and all over the place.. not to mention low fat, as a beginner you WILL miss and you dont wanna miss in a hand or foot.. its terrible.

Your veins will not be collapsed if you are a new user lol. Collapsed usually happens from abuse over time.. it just means they no longer are carrying blood, you can not register in them anymore or push off into them. You can collapse a vein if you have bad technique too and either create too much of a vacuum or forgot to unti your tourni and push a large shot blowin the vein

Arteries are all over, but they are deeper generally speaking. Google veins and arteries in bodies and educate your self with some pictures.. text can not do it justice.

Dont make the mistake and reuse pins.. especially if you are poking around trying to register dont keep using the same pin!!! you are going to kil your veins. If you use a new pin for every single time you pierce the skin, and rotate spots, your veins will NOT collapse. I have been using the same veins for 5 years atleast and not one has collapsed. I use 29g pins and I NEVER reuse. I rotate about 6 sites and even fi i am binging hard these puppies stay strong. My veins are not the big plumpy veins you see on some people either, they are barely visible. It just goes to show with a little skill patience and technique anyone can iv with100% accuracy. fat skinny good veins or bad.

I remember when I used to have fat skinny good veins...