What are odds of accidental 5mm injection into blood vessel?

I’ve often wondered this…but since I just had a gusher when I did my dinner injection…what are the odds of accidentally injecting into a blood vessel? I always assume when my injections bleed a bit that I’m just nicking something that I passed by…but this gusher was impressive…so here is my question…

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I think the odds are pretty low… I’m pretty sure I’ve done it once, though. This was before CGM, so hard to tell exactly what happened.

I tested for lunch and was 4.2 mmol/L. Did my injection and started to eat a few minutes later. About 15 minutes after the injection I started feeling awful, to the point I was scared I’d pass out. Tested again and I was 1.8 mmol/L. Ate my lunch plus a bunch of candy. Half an hour later I was still only 3.5 mmol/L or so. Ate more food. Then two hours later I tested at 26 mmol/L. It was like my lunch bolus absorbed insanely fast, was all used up after about 45 minutes, and then I skyrocketed as the food continued to hit.

I’d still say once in almost 28 years is pretty low odds.

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Having watched minor surgeries for more than a few years, there are some quite impressive bleeds from blood sources that are just under the skin. You may have just gotten “lucky”

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My bg arc has behaved my version of normal…so I guess it was a lucky one!

@T1Allison - the odds are pretty slim. In over 50 years of mostly MDI injections, it’s happened 3 times to me (even with drawing back to check for blood).

Each time saw a dramatic and rapid drop in BG (imagine what mainlining 15Units of Humalog would do to you). Severe hypos all 3 times, all required EMT’s and ER visits to bring me back.

Don’t think it can’t happen. Blood vessels that don’t draw blood could be just a thin cellular layer away from direct access to your circulatory system.

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Wow, were you injecting 15 u when this happened? Scary! I’m lucky that when (I think) it happened to me I was only injecting 5-6 u.

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Indeed I was (took around 15 units of Humalog every night before dinner, as back then I ate tons of carbs and other high glycemic foods). Trouble is when you deliver that dose direct to blood, things get out of control rather quickly :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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