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NATURAL
DILATATION VS. ARTIFICIAL DILATATION OF THE VEIN by M. Gail Stotler, Vein Access Technologist / B.S.N.,
R.N./ Biology / Anatomy / Physiology / Physics / Chemistry / Math
NATURAL
DILATATION
A natural dilatation of the vein occurs when the
vein is gently palpated. Because the vein wall has a
smooth muscle middle
layer (called the media) and because the wall of the vein is innervated (it has
nerve endings that are sensitive and respond to stimuli - hot, cold, gentle touch, and pain),
WE can
cause that vein to relax with gentle touch (massaging
that smooth muscle in the wall of that vein). This
causes the muscle to relax
and allows for a stretch resulting in extra filling of blood in that particular
segment of the vein. This extra filled vein segment is said to have DILATED. And, it dilated (enlarged,
stretched) and filled with blood to the
extent or degree that NATURE intended
- NOT BEYOND what
nature intended.
ARTIFICIAL DILATATION An artificial dilatation occurs when
the tourniquet is applied too tight. This 'too tight tourniquet' stops
the return
of venous blood right at t he site of t he tourniquet (like a 'dam' stops the flow of water). And,
since venous blood continues to be made and c ontinues its return flow, when that return flow reaches
the 'dam', it can not go any further and that segment of vein just below the 'dam' begins
to distend, and
distend, and distend, and . . . until it is ready to rupture . . . That segment of
over stretched, thinned wall vein begins to LEAK serum into the
surrounding subcutaneous tissue. This leakage is called an extravasate, or
an
INFILTRATE, or (lymph) edema . . .
That segment of vein wall is stretched and filled BEYOND
THE LIMITS THAT NATURE INTENDED -
overstretching the muscle and the nerves in the
wall.
Now that you know the difference,
ponder these questions -
1. How cruel would it be to stick a needle into an already
overstretched nerve ending?
2. What will happen to an overstretched, thinned wall water balloon when you stick it with a needle? 3. What kind of injury occurs
to the tissue at that site?
4. How long will it take to form an effective clot over that size of an injured area?
READ the section on VEIN Anatomy and Physiology. THIS is the missing information
that causes the
skill of vein access to CHANGE from its current method to
our new SCIENTIFIC based method. Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved.
This information and so much more can be found in our book, How to Locate a Healthy Vein, and in our profession-specific books, The Science Behind the Skill of Vein Access. Order your book today or attend one of our
training programs!
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