Misc odd i.v. question

[snazzy_sn]

so i had a difficult time learning to shoot up because i was always trying to grasp the mechanics of the whole thing.
i'm a pro now, but i was thinking back and wondering...

i know it differs but i mean like how big around is a typical vein?
like i always had this visual in my head that even at an angle i'd push the needle in too far down and i'd scratch/scrape/break through the other side of the vein, so i always ended up not registering because i'd just barely get under the skin.

i mean how realistic is this?
what are the odds of this actually happening with say, one's mainline?

i don't shoot much anymore and when i do i don't have to think about it, it just comes naturally. i don't know what is making this pop in to my head right now at three in the morning but it's keeping me awake.

thanks.

 

[PeacePipeChief]

well of course u can go through the other side of the vein ... thats when u pull it back a little bit and register again .

 

[snazzy_sn]

hm. i'm just trying to get a visual in my head i guess of how big around a vein is.
and if you touched the other side of it with a needle wouldn't that hurt?

 

[PeacePipeChief]

well theyre perfectly round so , theyre about as around as u can tell by its width on the surface , if that makes sense :/ depends if u hit something on the other side , which completely depends on where ur shooting up . i find with the vein in the very middle of the crook on the inside of my elbow when i go to deep , if the needle tip is pointing more towards my body theres something there i hit , and it stings a little , it shocks my arm enough to make me have to pull the needle out . but if ur using ur bicep , u may hit the muscle , in ur hand ull hit bone probably , wrist / lower forearm theres heaps of shit abit deeper than the veins u can hit . Iving is a dangerous ROA !

 

[Cane2theLeft]

The size depends on which vein and the individual. I don't use substances intravenously but I do donate plasma twice a week and I've discussed this with the phlebotomists a lot as well as watched them stick lots of individuals. As long as you are coming in at as low of an angle as possible (as close to parallel to the vein as you can), it's not that difficult to not hit the other side.

Experienced phlebotomists rarely need to re-register except with donors who are tiny and have very small veins although I imagine this is more difficult when you're dealing with more scar-tissue and collapsed veins such as addicts deal with.

For a more objective answer, they range from 1mm to over 1cm... larger veins on an average sized individual are probably a little under 1cm in diameter.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

The size depends on which vein and the individual.

Very true. There is no "average" size and it greatly varies from person to person.

As long as you are coming in at as low of an angle as possible (as close to parallel to the vein as you can), it's not that difficult to not hit the other side.

Not if it's a very small vein! It's very easy to do this with tiny shallow veins on the hands and feet. But yeah, with the basilic arm vein it's pretty difficult.

 

[obscure]

I've taken blood hundreds of times, given a ton of IVs, shot myself tons of times, and trained plenty of people in all that fun stuff. What you're talking about is infiltration, when you hit a vein, but go through it in some manner. That could mean just hitting the side and registering, but not being fully in the vein or poking all the way through mid shot. It's extremely common. The smaller the needle the better and anchoring the little SOB is key to a good stick. It's a tough thing, sticking a sharp piece of metal perfectly into a fragile little tube that you can hardly see. You have to be able to visualize it in your head and just feel it out and have a little faith.

Size is completely dependent on the individual. I've seen guys with ropes running through their arms and others that have such small deep veins that it's damn near impossible to find a good site. Often times you have to go strictly by feel and just hope.