Yesterday I had minor surgery to remove some screws from my ankle. The jittery anesthesiologist made a bit of a mess when trying to place an IV (always fun watching my own blood spurt).
Today, I took off the bandage, and about an inch away from where she poked me is a stippled dark bruise.
So, this being only my second IV, I’m wondering, is this just a typical result of bad IV placement? Or is a blood clot going to break off in my arm and go into my heart and kill me? :eek:
I mean, either way, it’s cool, whatever.
ETA: Just asking for your own IV bruising anecdotes, not medical advice.
I’m not a doctor or nurse, but here’s what I think I know: A bruise is a localized bleeding under the skin. Your body will absorb the blood, and as that happens the bruise becomes lighter over time. I’ve almost never had an IV without getting a bruise afterwards - when the blood vessel is punctured to insert an IV, there’ll be some “spill”, so to speak.
Since bruises are fluid, they can wander - my mum had a bruise in her forehead once which finally settled on her cheekbone, giving her a black eye instead.
I don’t recall getting any bruises after IVs, but I’ve certainly had them many times after getting blood drawn for tests. Given that, I wouldn’t be too shocked at a bruise after an IV (assuming it wasn’t too horrendous) if the person putting it in was a lousy shot.
My last blood test left me with a vein-shaped bruise running three or four inches up my bicep. It went away of its own accord in the usual bruise healing period and I suffered no ill effects.
I frequently donate blood, and if the nurse isn’t skilled at inserting the needle, I’ll usually have a bruise that lasts a week or more. The last time the guy was particularly inept, and I ended up with a multi-hued bruise that lasted about 3 weeks. I’ve never had any problems other than bruising, though. No soreness, circulation problems, or anything else.
I had a huge bruise from by wrist to my shoulder after a improperly placed IV while selling plasma. For 2 hours my blood was being taken out of my veins and “spilling” under my skin on the way back in, I guess. It was horrible and hurt at the time, and, of course, later.
The technician wouldn’t unhook me, either, even though it was painful and I knew something was wrong. And I didn’t really press the issue because I needed the money- no kidding- to buy my 80 year old grandma a birthday gift. I never want to be that poor again.