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A member asked:
I went to get blood drawn and realized the phlebotomist did not wipe my arm with an alcohol wipe, can i get an infection? also, she put the needle in very far so can the needle have punctured my vein all the way through?
2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Yes and yes, but...: Infection should not happen because the needles are single-use disposable needles, and the skin is supposed to be cleaned off with alcohol first. However, many things are possible in life. Infection is more likely if a person has a poorly functioning immune system, such as some cancer patients during treatment. Fortunately, 2 holes in a vein heal up just like 1 hole in a vein.
Answered 2/26/2020
98 views
No risk, no worry: Even without proper skin cleansing, the risk of infection from blood drawing is extremely low. (But I would bet the phlebotomist did clean your arm, even if you didn't notiice.) It also would not be harmful if the needle passed all the way through the vein. If blood was successfully collected, all is well -- nothing to worry about.
Answered 3/3/2020
96 views
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