paradoxcycle
Bluelight Crew
Arms
Arms, first upper then lower, are the safest sites for injecting. You should be careful to secure the veins in the forearms before you inject into them.
Hands
Hands are somewhat less safe than arms because the veins are significantly smaller and more delicate and therefore more likely to bruise or become damaged. Circulation is also slower in the hands, causing healing to take longer. If you're getting off in your hands, be sure to use the thinnest needle possible (highest gauge) or, if you can find one, a butterfly needle. Be vigilant about rotating the sites, and keep in mind that it is difficult to conceal injection marks and bruises on the hands.
Legs
Circulation in the legs may be poor, especially in people who don't use theirs a lot. Veins in the legs are more likely than those in the arms to develop clots that can obstruct circulation and eventually break off and lodge in the lungs or heart. Also, damaging the valves in the leg veins is more serious that damaging those in the arms since they play a greater role in getting blood back to the heart.
Feet
As with the hands, the veins in the feet are generally smaller than in other parts of the body, and close to nerves, cartilage, and tendons which you want to avoid hitting when you inject. Because they are farther from the heart than the veins in the hands, arms, and legs, blood circulates more slowly in the foot veins and they therefore require more time for healing and repair. In addition, foot sweat and dirty socks act prevent wounds from healing and increase the chance of infection from bacteria.
Groin
The femoral vein in the groin area is a large and fairly easy vein to access, but its location near the femoral nerve and the femoral artery make it quite a risky place to inject. Among the three, the femoral vein is located closest to the groin, with the artery and then the nerve located as you move outward. If you're going to inject into the femoral vein, first locate your femoral artery--where you do not want to inject--by finding the pulse. Then move a short distance toward the inside of your leg to find the femoral vein. Because it lies fairly deep, you will probably not be able to see it but will have to inject into it "blind."
Neck
The jugular vein in the neck is the riskiest place to inject because it lies very close to the carotid artery, a major blood vessel that brings blood directly to the brain. Accidentally hitting the carotid artery could be fatal, and damaging the jugular vein in any way can interfere with blood circulation to the brain.
You always want to inject into a vein and never into an artery.
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the extremities of the body back to the heart and lungs where it becomes re-oxygenated. Veins have no pulse, and the blood they carry is a deep, dark red because it is low in oxygen. Arteries carry blood rich in oxygen from the lungs and heart to all the other parts of the body. Arteries have a pulse, and the blood in them is bright red and frothy. Arteries are located deeper in the body than veins and so are not visible as many of your veins are.
You'll know you've hit an artery if:
* The plunger of your syringe is forced back by the pressure of the blood.
* When you register, the blood in your syringe is bright red, frothy, and 'gushing.' Blood in veins is dark red, slow-moving, and "lazy."
* You feel an electric "burn" along your limb.
You can avoid hitting an artery by:
* Never injecting where you feel a pulse.
* Injecting only into surface veins and not trying to hit those that lie deeper.
What to do if you hit an artery:
* Untie your tourniquet and pull your needle out immediately.
* Raise the limb above your head to stop the bleeding, if possible.
* Apply firm pressure to the wound for at least 10 minutes.
* If bleeding continues, apply a bandage or cloth wrapped very tightly around the wound and seek medical attention immediately. The loss of blood from hitting an artery can be life-threatening if it's not stopped.
Arms, first upper then lower, are the safest sites for injecting. You should be careful to secure the veins in the forearms before you inject into them.
Hands
Hands are somewhat less safe than arms because the veins are significantly smaller and more delicate and therefore more likely to bruise or become damaged. Circulation is also slower in the hands, causing healing to take longer. If you're getting off in your hands, be sure to use the thinnest needle possible (highest gauge) or, if you can find one, a butterfly needle. Be vigilant about rotating the sites, and keep in mind that it is difficult to conceal injection marks and bruises on the hands.
Legs
Circulation in the legs may be poor, especially in people who don't use theirs a lot. Veins in the legs are more likely than those in the arms to develop clots that can obstruct circulation and eventually break off and lodge in the lungs or heart. Also, damaging the valves in the leg veins is more serious that damaging those in the arms since they play a greater role in getting blood back to the heart.
Feet
As with the hands, the veins in the feet are generally smaller than in other parts of the body, and close to nerves, cartilage, and tendons which you want to avoid hitting when you inject. Because they are farther from the heart than the veins in the hands, arms, and legs, blood circulates more slowly in the foot veins and they therefore require more time for healing and repair. In addition, foot sweat and dirty socks act prevent wounds from healing and increase the chance of infection from bacteria.
Groin
The femoral vein in the groin area is a large and fairly easy vein to access, but its location near the femoral nerve and the femoral artery make it quite a risky place to inject. Among the three, the femoral vein is located closest to the groin, with the artery and then the nerve located as you move outward. If you're going to inject into the femoral vein, first locate your femoral artery--where you do not want to inject--by finding the pulse. Then move a short distance toward the inside of your leg to find the femoral vein. Because it lies fairly deep, you will probably not be able to see it but will have to inject into it "blind."
Neck
The jugular vein in the neck is the riskiest place to inject because it lies very close to the carotid artery, a major blood vessel that brings blood directly to the brain. Accidentally hitting the carotid artery could be fatal, and damaging the jugular vein in any way can interfere with blood circulation to the brain.
You always want to inject into a vein and never into an artery.
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the extremities of the body back to the heart and lungs where it becomes re-oxygenated. Veins have no pulse, and the blood they carry is a deep, dark red because it is low in oxygen. Arteries carry blood rich in oxygen from the lungs and heart to all the other parts of the body. Arteries have a pulse, and the blood in them is bright red and frothy. Arteries are located deeper in the body than veins and so are not visible as many of your veins are.
You'll know you've hit an artery if:
* The plunger of your syringe is forced back by the pressure of the blood.
* When you register, the blood in your syringe is bright red, frothy, and 'gushing.' Blood in veins is dark red, slow-moving, and "lazy."
* You feel an electric "burn" along your limb.
You can avoid hitting an artery by:
* Never injecting where you feel a pulse.
* Injecting only into surface veins and not trying to hit those that lie deeper.
What to do if you hit an artery:
* Untie your tourniquet and pull your needle out immediately.
* Raise the limb above your head to stop the bleeding, if possible.
* Apply firm pressure to the wound for at least 10 minutes.
* If bleeding continues, apply a bandage or cloth wrapped very tightly around the wound and seek medical attention immediately. The loss of blood from hitting an artery can be life-threatening if it's not stopped.
