09/22/2026
Getting an IV is usually a simple, routine procedure. Nurses are trained to insert the needle into a vein (the vessels that carry blood back to your heart). Veins have low pressure, and they safely carry the concentrated IV medicine directly to your heart, where it gets mixed and diluted with massive amounts of blood before traveling to the rest of your body.
But what happens if the needle accidentally hits an artery?
You will know immediately! Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood directly away from the heart at extremely high pressure. If an IV hits an artery, bright red, pulsating blood will aggressively shoot backward up the IV tube.
Worse, if medicine is pushed into an artery, it skips the heart entirely. A highly concentrated, undiluted dose of medicine is forced directly into the tiny capillaries of your hand or arm. This causes an intense, burning pain, severe tissue damage, and can even cut off circulation, causing your hand to turn pale white. It is a severe medical emergency that can lead to the loss of fingers if the medicine isn't stopped instantly!
The immediate fix? Remove the needle and hold firm pressure for at least 10 minutes, because arteries bleed much faster than veins!
Have you ever had a bad IV experience? Tell us your story in the comments! 👇
