What happens if you miss in a morphine injection?

Answer 1

"Missing" an injection is a term used mostly by intravenous drug abusers to describe incorrectly hitting the vein during use. A "miss" can have different results. Firstly if using a dull needle and a scratch occurs as the needle runs along the side of the rolling vein phlebitis can occur. Phlebitis is a general swelling and irritation of the vein at and around the injection site. It's mildly painful and a warm compress and a couple Ibuprophen will help. Secondly you can "blow" the vein. This is caused by too steep an angle when inserting the needle and it comes out the other side of the vein, or sometimes when you pull back to fast on the plunger to "register"and the needle pulls out leaving a hole. A blown vein instantly swells like crazy when blood from the punctured vein fills the area under the skin around the hole. It may turn black and blue right away or an hour or so after. Blown veins mostly repair themselves. Again a hot compress, or even sometimes ice will help reduce the swelling. Finally the mother of all problems from a missed shot. If you go ahead and inject the fluid (morphine in this case) when you don't hit the vein and the solution isn't sterile, or the needle is dirty an abscess can form. An abscess is when the area of tissue surrounding the vein becomes infected, a pocket of puss forms, swelling occurs, the skin in the area may turn an angry red and be hot to the touch. In severe cases, untreated, the injection site will open up into a ragged, discolored hole. There have been cases of such severe infections that the vein itself has become visible through the widened injection site. Abscesses can be very painful and if the infection enters the bloodstream can kill very rapidly. At first sign of abscess seek medical attention because prescription antibiotics will most certainly be needed.