IV in the hand or arm? and private room question

The last surgery I had they put the IV in my hand. A friend of mine told me that hand IV's hurt way worse than arm IV's so now I am confused and wondering if I should request it in a different place.

Also, when do you request a private room? When I go in the morning of?

Had one in my hand the last time and found it a bit more sensitive than the arm.

Anyplace they can get an IV on me is a good place. I am a really hard start. I've had them in my thumb and at one point they were looking in my feet but canned it because of concerns for deep vein thrombosus. Usually anesthesia has to start it and it takes them a few tries....even though I always warn them, the nurses have to all try and then my favorite line "We are getting Suzie, she is our best IV nurse"....so where was Suzie for the first stick I'd like to know? And then Suzie can't get it so anesthesia has to do it. If I am in for a longer stay they just put a central line in that I absolutely love! Infectious risk and all, can't be worse than the infectious risk of being poked over and over.

This surgery the anesth. put it in my inner wrist, like where you feel for a pulse (he called it the anesth. doctor's friend). Hurt like the dickens even with the lidocaine I insisted upon as I've had them there before too. And he was so messy with it when my family came in to see me pre-op there was blood everywhere.

Anyway, sorry to go on and on but it is a pet peeve of mine. I can tell you that I think the hand hurts more than the arm because it is a smaller vein. They don't like to put it in the antecub (crook of your arm at the elbow) because it is impossible to maintain afterwards. There is controversy about a lidocaine wheal before the IV because some folks say if you are going to have the pain of a needle in you just do the IV. My preference would probably be the wrist like on the side like if you drew an imaginary line from your thumb to your inner arm at the elbow and I wanted a lidocaine wheal which is a small, tiny bit of lidocaine they inject with a super small needle where they are going to put the IV so it is numb and you don't feel the IV or hardly feel it. There are sprays they can use as well. I like the wheal because if they have to probe about for it, it helps more than the spray. This is all my experience and everyone is different. Talk it over with your nurse when you first go in and develop a plan you are comfortable with.

Had my surgery in a free standing surgery center and all the rooms were private so can't help you there.

Good luck to you! You'll do fine and be on the other side before you know it!

I had my IV in my hand. Since I was a bit dehydrated from the bowel prep, it took awhile to get started.

I had a private room because my hospital put me on the women's surgery floor, which was all private rooms.

Hi there! I have had several iv's in my hands and arms. I have noticed the hand is a teeny bit more sensitive, but for me I actually opt for it there, since it seems alot easier for them to find my vein in the hand than my arm, and it saves the pain of the poking and prodding. I also was put on women's floor which I believe was all private rooms. Plus, they have a tendancy to be nicer, since they are normally "birthing" suite type rooms.

I have only had a three IV's....didn't really notice a big difference with either site.

My hospital had all private rooms, so I didn;t need to request one. There is no way I would want a roommate.

I just loaded my fridge with bottled water I am going to be well hydrated for Thursday!

I am a very hard stick, then when they get IV started it usually blows. I have had IV in feet thighs,tops of arms. The last 2 times they had to put central line in my neck, it was painful but it was so much better than being stuck 20-30 times over and over again.

sorry, Answer to your question, I actually prefer the hand IV better. As long as it is placed right it is easier to move around. The arm usually hits alot of things and gets sore.

Good Luck!
C~

Why is it that those who have to get the most medical attention are always hard sticks? You have to laugh so you don't cry right? I am also really hard to IV. I have had them all over the place and the hand always hurts but than again they have to try it like 20 times.. I've had it at the base of my thumb and while that hurt like hell going in, it stayed in the best. For one of my last surgeries they stuck me in the middle of my arm, between my elbow and my wrist. That didn't hurt at all!

I don't know if you can actually request an IV in a certain place though. The Drs all have their own opinions about things.

In the pre-op holding area, they put an IV in my left arm. When I woke up in recovery, I had an additional one in my left hand. No one could explain why. My hand started to swell on day 3 and they put one in my right hand.

I don't understand how I ended up being stuck so many times.

At my hospital, it turns out that there is a Women's Surgical Wing and all rooms are private. So, I really didn't have to ask.