why the arms and hands are used to draw blood and not the feet.?

Answer:
They are convenient. Although when inserting serial IV catheters, you want to start distally (away from the body) and work your way up. This works both on the hands/arms and feet/legs. Also, you can use larger sites which can accommodate faster fluid resuscitation and have less of a tendency to collapse, i.e. femoral, subclavian, jugular. In a severely vascularly compromised patient, an intra-osseous stick may be performed which goes inside your bone. (there are vessels there, too)

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The veins are closer to the surface and easier to get to. In the hospital, when the arms have been used enough, they do use the feet. Muscular use of the arms makes them easier than feet to draw blood.

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The skin is thinner so it's easier to get the needle in and out.

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I think it's for convenience.
My mother was once operated on and they needed to inject her with solutions, but her arteries were too thin. They tried everwhere and eventually had to inject through her big toe. It was very painful, though.

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The arms and hands are more accessible.Blood can be taken from any part of the body, but for most of the body, unclothing that part would be required.

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I also assume that it takes time and effort to take your shoes and socks off, and for the nurse to bend over to reach your feet. Your hands are usually exposed, and closer to the nurses' hands than your feet are; why not just use that?

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Because you don't have to take your socks and shoes off!

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i guess it is because the arms are closer to the heart. Because it is closer to the heart the blood pressure/flow is better, making it easier to draw blood. Also legs have stronger, bigger muscles that requiere a lot more blood, and might make it hard to draw blood from the legs.

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They want you to walk out of the office. It is harder to walk out of the office with a pain in your foot.
Not to mention the bandage might slip if you are walking on it.

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I once asked this exact question of a phlebotomist who was drawing my blood. Her answer was that hands and arms are more readily available (no shoes, no socks) and are generally considered to be cleaner. The veins on the tops of feet and around the ankles are sometimes used as an alternative, especially with heroin addicts who have destroyed the more commonly used veins in their arms.

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There are many reasons, some of which I'm sure others will repeat.1. The arms are easily accessable.
2. Little to no clothing needs to be removed for access
3. The brachial and radial veins are larger and anatomically more accessable then the tibial or dorsal venous arch
4. The medial arm has fewer nerve endings then the foot so it is less painful
5. There is less chance of phlebitis (vein inflamation)
6. The arm is generally cleaner then the feet which harbor more bacteria and fungus then the upper extremitiesIt is possible to take blood from almost any vein or artery in the body depending on how invasive you wish to be. For standard, everyday blood tests, the arm is just the most convieniant.

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paul t is right on on his reasons, mainly pain and more likely to be problematic (hematomas, and irrittaion with walking)another note- you can draw from the feet as long as the doctor has written it on the chart, in such patients that warrant it - it usually doesn't come to this though.
there have been a couple times i've heard of a jugular draw becase that was the last available (last resort) option.

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