Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The cephalic vein is a superficial vein in the arm that drains blood from the hand and forearm. It runs up the radial (thumb) side of the forearm and is formed by the union of smaller veins from the hand. The cephalic vein continues up the arm and eventually contributes to the formation of the axillary vein, which then becomes the subclavian vein. A continuation of the cephalic vein, the median basilic vein, is often selected for venipuncture.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.