Abstract: An external needle guide can include a skin contact portion for attaching to skin of a patient and a needle guide portion for guiding a needle into a vessel of the patient. The external needle guide provides an accurate placement of a needle into the vessel (e.g., a good puncture), which reduces the failures of the vessel. Furthermore, because of the accurate placement of the needles and the ease of placement of the external needle guide, a patient and/or another person can insert the needles into the vessel with one hand. An external needle guide can also include an anchor portion that secures a needle to the external needle guide, preventing unwanted movement of the needle and damage to the vessel.