The axillary vein is a major blood conductor in the human body. It is located in the armpit. Venous blood is transported to the heart through it.
What is the axillary vein?
The axillary vein is a blood vessel in the armpit of the human body. It runs as a collateral vein next to the axillary artery. This is a major vessel in the human body. The axillary vein is also called the axillary vein because of its position and course. The axillary vein is located between the upper arm and the chest. Various blood vessels, muscles and nerve tracts pass through it. In the axillary vein, venous blood from the brachial vein is transported further into the subclavian vein. This deoxygenated blood is returned to the heart via the axillary vein. The axillary vein receives other veins from the wall of the thorax as well as the scapula on its way. The axillary vein is one of the deep veins located along the arm. It is a large blood conductor whose blood is directed to the right heart. In rare cases, the axillary vein is used to place a catheter. This is done in situations where other means of access cannot be used for various reasons.
Anatomy and structure
The axillary vein runs through the axilla of the human body. Because there is an axillary vein on both halves of the body, the venous conductor is paired. The axillary vein is a connecting blood duct located between the brachial vein and the subclavian vein. These are the brachial vein and the subclavian vein. Starting from the hand veins, the blood of the hand is transported via the subclavian vein to the brachial vein. From there, it continues to flow to the axillary vein, and then to the great body veins and finally to the heart. The beginning of the axillary vein is at the teres major muscle. This is a shoulder muscle located on the scapula. The axillary vein joins the subclavian vein at the outer edge of the human first rib. On its way, the axillary vein picks up other venous conduits from the wall of the thorax and scapula. These include the cephalic vein, the basilic vein, and the thoracodorsal vein. The course of the axillary vein is concomitant with the axillary artery. This is a major vessel in the human axilla.
Function and Tasks
The axillary vein has the main function of transporting venous blood. It receives blood from various other blood conduits and passes it on to the body’s veins. The axillary vein is a junction between the blood vessel from the forearm and the shoulder. Blood from the hand enters the armpit through the forearm and the upper arm. There it flows into the axillary vein. The axillary vein then carries the blood further through the axilla and directs it to the subclavian vein. The blood in the body’s veins is lower in oxygen than that in the arteries. If there is an external supply of drugs, they reach the heart more quickly via the venous conduits. There they can exert the desired effect or are transported further to their destination via the arteries. In addition, the vascular wall of the venous conduits is thinner. This allows easier access and ensures fewer injuries. Once other venous conduits are not available for catheter placement, the axillary vein can be used for this purpose. However, this procedure on the axillary vein happens extremely rarely and is not performed only by experienced physicians. The prerequisite for this is that other vein conductors are so severely damaged that it is no longer possible to place the catheter in them. The axillary vein is a deep vein. It cannot be seen, felt or palpated from the outside. It is protected on the inside of the extremities. This reduces the risk of total loss in blood transport in the event of an accident or damage to the arm or shoulder.
Diseases
Once the vascular wall of the axillary vein is damaged, blood can leak out and cause hemorrhage. These are manifested by the formation of bruises. Although the axillary vein is protected by its course, bruises, contusions, or accidents can cause damage to the blood vessel. These should be cooled immediately to contain the spread. As long as the bleeding continues, there is a strain on the organism. The heart must produce more blood to prevent undersupply.If bleeding persists, the risk of stroke or heart attack increases. In addition, there may be symptoms of failure of individual organs or systems. The blood serves as a transport route for various nutrients and messenger substances. For this reason, there is a risk that existing diseases can spread further via the bloodstream. This applies to inflammations, but also to cancers. The cancer cells of a tumor can become detached and be transported to another location via the blood. It is possible for the cells to form new metastases at these sites. In this way, there is a risk of cancer spreading. Care should be taken when placing a catheter in the axillary vein. Trauma may develop after the catheter is removed. This is manifested by restriction of movement of the arm.
