Venipuncture is the process of obtaining IV access.

• IV therapy
  • Administer therapeutic Tx (including medications, nutritions, chemotherapy)
• Obtain blood for:
  • Dx purposes
  • Monitor levels of blood components
  • Remove blood due to excess levels of iron or RBC's
  • Collect blood for later uses, mainly transfusion either in the donor or in another person
• Tx, as in phlebotomy (i.e. incision into a vein), for diseases such as hemochromatosis and polycythemia

• Most commonly obtained from the median cubital vein (i.e. within the cubital fossa anterior to the elbow), as this vein lies close to the skin surface, and thre is not a large nerve supply
• Minute quantities of blood may be taken by fingersticks sampling, and collected from infants using a heel stick or from scalp veins using a winged infusion needle (aka butterfly)

• One of the most routinely performed invasive procedures

• Cannulation