Hypodermic Needle
Needle · Injection Needle · Safety Needle · Blunt Fill Needle · Filter Needle
A thin, hollow steel shaft with a slanted, sharp point (the bevel) at one end and a colored plastic hub at the other that fits onto a syringe. It comes in a plastic cap.
On the table
What it does, the lengths it comes in and what experienced techs know about it.
What it’s for
Draws up and injects fluids: local anestheticLOH-kul an-es-THET-ikA drug that blocks feeling in one part of the body without making the person unconscious.Full entry into tissue, drugs into IV tubing, and other injections on the field. It is also used to withdraw medicine from a vial held by the circulator. Arterial and IV needle-and-cannulaKAN-yoo-luhA thin tube placed into the body or a body opening to deliver or remove fluid or air.Full entry sets are used for blood gases, pressure lines and IV access.
Lengths and variants
Sized by gauge (diameter) and length in inches. The larger the gauge number, the thinner the needle: an 18-gauge needle has a larger lumenLOO-menThe open space inside a tube, such as a blood vessel, the intestine or a catheter.Full entry than a 22-gauge. Setups commonly call for 18, 22, 25 and 27 gauge. Special types include blunt-tip needles for drawing up from a vial, filter needles for glass ampoules, and safety needles with a shield or a needle that retracts into the syringe.
What experienced techs know
What techs who reach for it every day know about it.Pro
Through the case
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Caution
What not to do with it, and why.Pro
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2 sources
- Fuller JK. Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Chapter 12 (Perioperative Pharmacology), p. 222-223
- Association of Surgical Technologists. Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist. 4th ed. Chapter 11 (Wound Healing, Sutures, Needles, and Stapling Devices), p. 309
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