We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Procedures

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Venipuncture?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 27,097
Share

Venipuncture is the method by which blood is drawn in most cases, and it may also be called phlebotomy or a blood draw. It refers to using a needle to pierce the skin and to access a vein so that a small amount of blood can be removed for various studies. Most people will experience venipuncture at some time in their lives, to either test for disease or to evaluate the various elements in blood that might indicate poor health.

The majority of adults will have blood drawn from the inside of the elbow, where the phlebotomist or other medical technician or specialist can access the median cubital vein. The standard method is to insert a needle through the skin and into this vein, which may first be slightly enlarged by using a tourniquet for a minute. Blood is then usually extracted by using a special vacuum tube that will hold the blood until it has various tests performed on it. Since people may require several tests from a single venipuncture, more than one vacuum tube may be used to collect the blood, but this doesn’t tend to require more than one puncture. In rare instances, a syringe method is used to collect blood instead, but the vast majority of venipuncture types use the vacuum tube.

Young children may have blood drawn done in different areas, including the hand or foot. Although this is more painful, it is usually easier to access the surface veins on infants and children from these areas. Patients or their parents can sometimes have a preference here, and moms or dads could advocate for a venipuncture performed on the median cubital vein instead, especially if a child is over a couple of months old.

For the person experiencing a blood draw, especially one fearful of needles or alarmed at the sight of blood, it can seem like the multiple tubes used to collect blood collect a lot of blood. Actually samples taken tend to be very small, though they may not look it. A single vial might contain 5 milliliters, which is equivalent to a teaspoon. This should be compared to the amount of blood a person could voluntarily donate. It takes roughly 29 milliliters to make up an ounce, and the standard blood donation is approximately 16 ounces or 473.2 ml. Though it can seem like a lot, even if several vials are used, usually no more than an ounce of blood is lost, one-sixteenth of a voluntary blood donation.

Venipuncture also occurs when people have IV (intravenous) lines started. In most cases, the skin must be pierced and a vein accessed so that fluid or medicines can be administered intravenously. The procedure for this is slightly different, and can be more involved. However, when an IV line is present, blood draws may occur through this open access, instead of having to perform additional procedures, which can be useful in hospital settings where blood tests might be required frequently.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a The Health Board contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
By anon304625 — On Nov 20, 2012

What if an accident happens?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a The Health Board contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-venipuncture.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.