ArticlePloS one2025
Vein depth and diameter as predictive indicators of visibility and palpability during venipuncture in healthy volunteers.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ultrasound vessel sizing before cannulation: a measurement-first approach for anesthesiologists.Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2026Review
- Visual appearance of blood vessels: a phantom study.Biomedical optics express · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe difficulty of venipuncture depends on the visibility and palpability of the vein and is particularly challenging in older adults, patients with abnormal body mass index, and those with chronic diseases. In these populations, vessel fibrosis, scarring, skin atrophy, and subcutaneous fat reduce vein visibility and palpability, making venous access more challenging. Previous studies have shown that visibility and palpability are associated with vein depth and diameter, respectively. The current study therefore aimed to evaluate the validity of vein depth and vein diameter as predictive indicators of vein visibility and palpability during venipuncture.
methodsThree nurses evaluated the visibility and palpability of superficial veins suitable for venipuncture in 96 healthy volunteers who participated in this study. Using ultrasound imaging devices, the depth and diameter of superficial veins were measured, after which receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created to identify the optimal cutoff values for predicting vein visibility and palpability.
resultsBoth vein depth and diameter were found to be independent predictors of visibility and palpability (p < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that vein depth was a significant predictor of visibility (AUC = 0.901, 95% CI = 0.834-0.967) and palpability (AUC = 0.724, 95% CI = 0.619-0.829). The optimal cutoff values for vein depth were 1.89 mm for visibility discrimination, with 28.1% of veins exceeding this threshold, and 1.44 mm for palpability, with 59.4% of veins exceeding this threshold. On the other hand, vein diameter was less accurate than vein depth in predicting visibility and palpability (AUC < 0.7).
conclusionsVein depth is an effective predictor of vein visibility and vein palpability. This finding is expected to inform the development of assistive technology for visual and palpatory examinations.
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