Oh, it's terrible. I hate it. In July I was in the hospital for 6 days because I was dying from a liver infection. They administered IV antibiotics every few hours, which can apparently irritate and damage veins. They had to take the IV out and switch it back and forth between my right and left arms, and find different veins, 3 times over the course of those 6 days because my veins got so inflamed. They got hard and felt like cables under my skin, and it was very painful. It took 3 weeks for them to heal. Then I had to have a PICC line inserted into my right arm for 4 weeks for at-home antibiotic administration. It was also terrible but at least you don't have to get stuck with a needle every day. Yeah, medical stuff is not fun, lol
Sorry for the torture you suffered. I must have had the same thing but I was totally unconscious under ga. I read the report in my patient portal however and I can see I went through medical hell. Needles and tubes everywhere. I felt like some inanimate object. I will never never have surgery again. 😢😢
Thank G-D I’ve been blessed with great veins. I’ve only once had an issue when in hospital ( very dehydrated ) and an inexperienced phlebotomist preparing me for an MRI with contrast. It just wasn’t happening until a nurse came along and just slid the needle in.
A hell of alot of nurses need you to teach them. I have had a few do painless IV's. The people who draw blood for a living seem to be the worst! Believe me, I've experienced plenty.
That’s the problem! They all think they know your body better than you do. Age68, sent to ED for severe dehydration due to an unknown infection. My K+ was 2.5 and nurses came running from everywhere. One grabbed my R arm and I said don’t use the antecubital there , anyplace else is fine. A different nurse got into the L antecubital. First nurse said “I can get into any place I need to”. I promised her she was wrong, find a different place, even suggesting a couple. Nope! She rushed in only to blow completely through. Oops she says! I said “ get someone else, don’t touch me again!” The next nurse easily found a good site below my wrist area and got right in. I realize I was sick but she just made it worse! It’s infuriating! That had every color in the rainbow for 2 weeks. The teal was an especially stunning shade. 🤬
@@lulumoon6942 I used to NOT warn them, thinking I would cause them anxiety. But one phlebotomist missed whare I TOLD her they get blood. When she missed- SHE THREW THE NEEDLE &.GLASS VILE HARD AGANTST THE TABLE and then told the doctor "well it's her fault, she told me where to stick her and it blew up!" I was scared of her, was told to hydrate and come back again. 😱🥺😢 That was on a Friday. When I worked up the courage to go the next week- she had been fired! The new gal was appauld at the witch's behavior and suggested I report her to the Board of Phlebotomist. It SHOULD BE ON HER RECORD!! NO patient should be in FEAR of the PROFESSIONAL taking a blood draw. It was CRAZY and SCARY!! HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL!! And since I know I'm not an easy 'stick'- I am a VERY patient person. Still blows my mind how she actually THREW a needle & glass tube hard! I was surprised it didn't break💉🩸😲🥺
When I was a medsurg nurse I had the best results using a warm pack, hand made, pre insertion. I love that you use lidocaine. I researched and wrote a paper on using lidocaine pre IV insertion in 2008 when I was on a patient advocacy committee at the Mid Missouri hospital I worked at back then. I was advocating for the use of lidocaine for anxious and sensitive patients, my suggestion was rejected by the hospital board because of cost.
I mentioned to a nurse while she was starting an IV on me, " do you have patients who ask for lidocaine very often while starting an IV?" She looks at me square in the face and says, "we don't use drugs here?" Now I'm a retired RN I looked at her and replied, "Well I hope you have epi, Benadryl and prednisone bc this is for a dye that I have an allergy to?" She didn't reply. What are they teaching RN's these days? I have to admit I was at an outpatient imaging place with subpar medical personnel.
All of the Nurses, have blown out every vein in my right arm & hand , during my cancer treatments. I was in the hospital, for what my surgeon referred to as “ an icc cram top “ of my left shoulder. That’s were he placed the metal because of not having a rotator cuff. The Nurse came in, to put in an “ I V” … and it took her 3 times as each veined rolled .. I said, “STOP “ Find SOMEONE WHO Knows what they are doing. I have one, vein left, in my arms , my left mid area, exactly, where you were placing that IV .., wish you were there ❣️❣️❣️ I’m saving this for my next surgery to show the Nurse “ how to insert an IV …. Thank you, Dr. K.🌟 You, are worth your weight, in Platinum ❣️❣️. 🧡🌟🧡 Kindest wishes today, artchem 1
if “all the nurses” blew your veins, maybe you’re just a hard stick? it’s very unlikely that every single nurse doesn’t know what they are doing lol, some people just don’t have good veins to start IVs or get blood draws on
You can also ask them to put a warm blanket over your arms. If all else fails TELL them you want the vampire team to come down. They have an ultrasound machine that detects usable veins. I get a maintenance procedure every 90 days and I am slowly learning all the tricks.
@@marthahudson4136 Upon being admitted, into “Sloan Kettering” , on the 19 of May 2006, I weighed 75 lbs, and my skin. was too thin, to place a port. Dr Sonata- (Ob/gyn oncology) had performed, all of the pre- op testing, and then, Scheduled, my ovarian surgery, for the 20th. 👏👏👏🌟🧡 My Insurance, refused to cover, my Medical Costs, “ out of state “‘ so they said. However, I was cleared, before going to Sloan. I had to come back, to Florida, and thank goodness, for a Dr friend, of mine ~ who found, Dr Alfred Jenkins, the most Wonderful, Oncologist, in this World. He was at MD Anderson ( downtown Orlando) and immediately, upon viewing my chart, from Sloan Kettering; said, he would do the surgery, on May 19th. At, MD Anderson. I asked him about a port, ( being a chemist) and doing my own research. ~. I was now down, to 69 lbs, because. I couldn’t keep anything down.. not, even broth. I slept in my bathroom, on the cool floor, with a pillow, and a blanket, to lay on, until the surgery. Dr. Jenkins, has the most amasing bedside, manner. He was kind, explained, everything about the surgery. Said, my skin, is too thin, to put in a port .. we have, to use an IV, for your treatment. He was very helpful, when I needed help, to insert the IV. ! He called “ the big guns” as he said. They, will do such a great job, you will barely, feel, a thing. :). He’s Practicing, now, in Atlanta,~ at MD Anderson. If you need female surgery, - Dr. Alfred Jenkins, is the BEST, ~ in this World ❣️❣️❣️❣️ I am alive today, because, of all the measures, he had taken, to give me great care, and support .👏👏👏👏 I hope I answered your question. 🧡🌟🧡. 🌸💐🌷🌺🌼🧬 Thank you for caring “marthahudson4136”. I appreciate your comment and your kindness. 🧡🌟🧡. With best wishes, artchem1
Boy did I ever need you yesterday! Four blown veins, and two tries by the anesthesiologist and the second one he finally got in. Couldn’t use lidocaine because I was dehydrated and they couldn’t advance the Iv. Not fun, my hands and arms took a beating.
I had sepsis in January and was really sick. I had 3 IVs in, but the worst was the potassium. It burned so badly, the nurses ended up diluting it with fluids in the same catheter. I don’t remember if it was the potassium or one of the other medications, but it was so caustic it kept blowing the IVs. Every time I got it or on a good day every other day, that IV would blow. It got to the point where only the IV Team was allowed to put in my catheters. None of them used any kind of spray, but all except one nurse kept trying and trying and that hurt. The vein kept rolling away from her. The only other times ít got dicey was when all of my surface veins were blown or in use. The IV Team came in with a machine that showed where your deep veins were. They used it as a guide where to hit one. I had this one male nurse was a real star! 🤩 He got it on the first try every time! I had the best nurses and they were so good to me. Țhe next time I’ll ask if they have cold spray or lidocaine. Thanks for sharing! ❤
Always have potassium piggyback -ed into NS or whatever is already running, if compatible. Potassium burns really bad. Nurses have tried ice packs which don't help @ all.They have even slowed the rate to very low. I have cried with K+ until finally getting a nurse who understands! I'm a retired RN & I know what I'm saying.
Icu RN here..... if you can swallow your pills they should give potassium by mouth, not IV. Advocate for yourself. I find follow up labs more effective with po or ng than iv so I always try to give it that way as much as possible
@julianatorrez5146 I was really sick a few years back and my potassium was dangerously low. I had to have 3 bags of potassium over a couple days, and one of magnesium too. They ran em piggyback on my iv saline and slow, so wasn't too bad.
@@leonabeers5437 I really empathize with your experience. I was moaning with the pain of it. My nurse kept increasing the saline until it stopped hurting. Like you, I was a licensed Veterinary Technician for 15 years. I never had an animal with 3 IVs running at the same time, but I was known for my gentle touch. Anytime anyone had a difficult animal, they asked me to put in the catheter. We didn’t use butterflies for catheters. I would have liked to have tried it. I guess they were afraid the animals were active after surgery that a butterfly would come out too easily. I used them to draw blood from cats a lot. We use a vein on the inside of the thigh. If you use a needle and draw back too quickly, you can collapse the vein. The butterfly was much easier if you needed a lot of blood. As long as you had someone who could hold really well. My K+ was extremely low (1.9) so I was getting a lot of it. Ugh!😩
@@leonabeers5437 Thanks! I hope I never have to go through that again. When I asked the doctor in the ER how low my potassium was, he told me it was not compatible with life. I really appreciate your insight. Thanks! 😊
So jealous. The person who did my last refused to listen when I asked for an IV in my hand between my thumb and forefinger where I have good veins. No, they did it on the back of my hand and if anyone touched it, or I accidentally bumped it, it was soooo painful. Get to OR room and start to get anesthesia and it *hurt* so much. In 20+ surgeries, only had that during my second one. It's been almost a month and that area on back of my hand is still sore. Wth
I first met local anaesthetic for canula insertion back at the blood bank in Adelaide 40 + years ago. The blood bank in Melbourne also gave donors a local before inserting the canula. In Queensland and New South Wales they just go straight in. (I don't know of the protocol has changed in Adelaide and Melbourne since I last donated there.) The plus side is that the canula doesn't hurt at all. The downside is that an injection of lidocaine is somewhat unpleasant. I was reminded of this when the anaesthetist was inserting my canula for a biopsy recently. He gave me the local (which stung and revived memories of very early blood donations) and then went right through the vein when he inserted the canula. So that then meant two more pokes with needles for the next attempt. The criterion for whether or not lidocaine was used appears to have been the gauge of the canula.
I've had to have an IV in my neck, it actually wasn't painful once it was in. And yes- they numbed the area before inserting the IV. I always tell them ahead of time "you get 3 chances and that's the limit!". I was told they aren't supposed to try more than 3 times. Period. Nice touch Doc, using the spray Freeze before starting. I warn them -YOU WILL NOT TORTURE ME!
I had a procedure once and the nurse usedca numbing stick thing that made a sound similar to carbonation coming out of soda and it caused my veins to blow...multiple times so I told her not to use it and just get it over with... so she did and got it first try
Hi Dr Kaveh 👋 just dropping a line to say hello 👋 this is foreign language to me and painful to watch! I don't mind so much watching my own, but on someone else!?😳 No thanks! I can feel it in my arm! Have a great week! 💞✌️
I have had blown vein twice these nurses and lab folks piss me off it hurts like hell and swollen for weeks! I pay huge premiums and expect to have competent medical staff thank you Dr I even warn them its a head nurse that said she does not need a catheter here let me show you how it done I was just getting an iv of tylenol for pain in ER after I thought to myself was this IV even necessary I was released with lidocaine pain patch hate invasive procedures when not necessary.
Thank you for the information on the spray...during my spinal surgery that nurse used lidocaine that best IV stick from a nurse I wish they all used it.
Great job. I used to have an intense needle phobia until Botox for migraines finally desensitized me. However, when it comes to IVs, I seem to have the best access in my inside left elbow. When they insist on trying my right elbow, they usually miss the veins and dig around. During my last surgery, about a month ago, they kept trying on the right elbow and I finally said “stop, no more. use the left elbow. “. They didn’t believe me that I know which veins have developed a sort of callus to protect the site and since I always have blood drawn from the left elbow, I know what works best. They told me they usually prefer the right arm because they usually are doing colonoscopies and they want the patient on the left side with the arm elevated. I wasn’t having that procedure so it didn’t matter. So, the anesthesiologist went ahead and took over the Arab access on my happy arm. If I had been a colonoscopies, is right arm access that much more important? What if I were am amputee?
No! All my colonoscopies have my IV in the L as that is all I have left. My Dr doesn’t care. When you lie on the L side you don’t have your arm under your body. It’s placed along the side of your body. It’s all about control, they don’t listen to people. Get your Dr to order the IV where they can get in the easiest. That way they don’t have a choice!
Dr. Kaveh, really really wish you worked in our hospitals here!!! They hurt us! And they get mad at me too!! I drank water & presurgery carb drink night before & nothing else exactly like they said to do! But they write down NPO after midnight on our paper? NPO is nothing to eat or drink after midnight, right? Isn't that all crazy? Talk about "Gaslighting." Thank you for all you do & teach us on how to Live while in a hospital these days. Yikes. Couldn't get any of the medicine i take the night after a big neck spine surgery, even though they asked my med list 6xs the day before & after day of admit for surgery. They also would not get air pump to make my DVT device to work, or take my catheter out after i waa in the room after post op recovery and wouldn't get me "up with assist, which was on my board in my room. What? And they weren't short of nurses either. And i always said, please & thank you, anytime i asked for help too.💜
I'm in the hospital right now. They gave the IV right in the OR but it was in my right hand. That was yesterday and the tubing is still in my hand, I guess in case they need to drug me up again lol
@@MercyKat I was going in preop for a surgery and the IV nurse was on an odd little chair with wheels flying through all the cubicles. I don’t think it took her more than 2-3 minutes two ask her questions and put in the IV.
@@heidi5462 , oh, I worked PACU for 20 years and pre/post op intermittently for 10 of those years! One of my greatest joys is giving anesthesiologists a hard time! 😅🥰✨
All these comments! I have been sooooo fortunate that most of my experiences have been pretty good. My first blood draw was when I was about 5 years old. I don't even remember any pain the nurse was that good! The one I hated the most was a cardiac cath. That pain lasted for days after the procedure. Apparently that is normal though...??
I found out I had difficult veins the first time I tried to donate blood when I was 18. That was my first and last blood donation sadly. I've now had a lifetime of over confident or poorly trained phlebotomists, nurses and doctors leaving me covered in bruises. 😪 I hate it when they try my hand. It never works there.
Ive always had excellent veins on both arms whenever i donated or for blood draws so thankfully ive never had to experience blown veins. Cant say the same for my younger brother sadly. He always has difficulty getting needle in and most times, his forearms usually look like a battlefield
20 years phlebotomist here. The person in this video has gigantic veins. Huge. We weren’t allowed to use lidocaine and we drew newborns to patients over 100. I didn’t smack veins like he did in the video because that can elevate the potassium. Always more than meets the eye.
Not every medical professional is proficient at doing iv’s! It’s been my experience that if the iv is in preparation for a surgery or procedure, and a nurse(s) has failed after 2-3 pokes, ASK TO HAVE THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST DO IT! They tend the be the iv placement royalty.
No because every time I get a blood work done or I have to go to the hospital for surgery, they have to bring in the whole PIC team because it’s really hard to find a vein. Once, they put the IV in the wrong spot and when they shot morphine in my arm, my arm got all swollen and hard and it was burning. That shit hurt so my mom and I had to call the nurse to tell them. They fixed it but my arm still hurt
Here is what I don't understand. When doing general anesthesia, why don't they start the isoflurane first then administer the propofol and NMJ drugs? In emergency surgery, I can understand, but for routine surgery, what's the point of doing these while fully conscious, especially in pediatric patients who will be very miserable with it.
Not me literally laying in a hospital bed with the I.v. Type in that exact vein in my arm. The nurses opted to the have I.v. team insert it yesterday, as I may be monitored for a few more days. I can say that it is better for longer access days 👍🏻.
I've never had any of the lidocaine or cold spray. I had so many IVs too that they were looking at my feet for good veins left. It was always so painful! I feel like I got screwed lol.
I usually get about ten pricks before they get an IV into me. I have stringy veins on surface and my good veins sit deep by the side of my arteries. Luckily I am not scared of needles otherwise that would be a nightmare.
Why can’t anyone giving an IV that doesn’t know how get more training when one nurse tried to put one in on me. He hurt me hurt me hurt me. Then he blew the vein. as he came around the bed, he said ‘ I’m not very good at this’ then go get some one who is good at it and let them teach you.😢
I wish they would use better ways to get an iv. I was to get a ct with contrast monday and they blew 2 veins and caused me to have vasovagal syncope and i passed out. Then I was in the er yesterday for nonstop vomiting, stomach pain, and was dehydrated and they struggled to get a vein, but they did. Took a full big iv bag and still didnt have to pee...that dehydrated.
i dont really understand why you use lidocain. here in germany we do IVs all the time without any lidocain or else and the patients dont really need it. Maybe its a thing from country to country?
I had one out in yesterday for my spiral leg / ankle surgery .. omg it hurt & I passed out!!! My heart rate dropped so low 😢 !!! One to remember by .. 🥴😮💨😣
doc i have a question why do they not use licodaine when they inserting a feeding tube down from your nose?? its 😢😢 also is there a danger they can go down in the breathing tube ins the esophagus??
It’s not an infection risk, but it’s not a favorite bc it causes the vein to disappear, bc the spray is cold. It’s more of a placebo effect anyway, unless they actually do use lidocaine. Heat brings out veins, hence the use of warm blankets for helping with patients that are hard sticks. I’d rather have a warm blanket and one stick, than a cold spray that doesn’t work and makes them have to stick me repeatedly. The key is to drink a s-t ton of water. Also, if you know you’ve had trouble getting access, just insist on the IV team. Just know that that will take more time, sometimes hours, bc they cover the whole hospital and others are sicker than you are.
@@michellenainkristinabusch1221 They can only use tegaderm on me. Not such a bad reaction. I forgot to say if my IV stimulates my adrenals then it starts a mess of arrhythmia. Like the doc says, gotta keep it painless.
That's ridiculous it does not hurt. The flicking probably hurts worse than the stick. Unless it's a child, ask the spraying and whatnot is wholly unnecessary 😊
I have transparent skin and good veins in my arm which makes it easier for the doctor/nurses to find the vein and I’ve gotten use to having these tests… However on a few occasions I have had my share of pain due to some botched tests done by a few rough hands that could not do their job right 🤦🏻♀️😭😂
@@jmc8076these are ignorant, inaccurate, and highly insulting and demeaning terms when you are referring to a procedure performed by a licensed professional. Please never use those terms, just ask for the IV team.
If you’re reading this and you don’t know Jesus ask him into your heart today he Loves you and he wants to set you free from all bondage ! Are you sick ? Do you have any anxiety ? Jesus said come to me all of you who are burdened and heavy laiden and I will give you rest. He said take “my yoke upon you” my yoke is easy and my burden is light. HE LOVES YOU! Yes YOU!!
I do appreciate the value of non-western medicine and alternative therapies (I am a full-time practicing massage therapist myself), but there are many, many diseases we have no control over that are death sentences without intervening with modern medicine. Outright refusing to see a doctor or go to the hospital, or refusing treatments, can and does have fatal consequences. Pick your battles wisely!
