What Gauge Needle Is Used To Draw Blood

A butterfly needle is used to draw blood samples from the body wrist hand and foot.

It becomes one unit. The smallest gauge 25 is used primarily with pediatric patients. What s used now is a needle holder onto which a needle screws. The higher the gauge the smaller the needle.

Nov 18 2017 by meanmaryjean dnp rn. 21 gauge needles are most commonly used for drawing blood for testing purposes and 16 or 17 gauge needles are most commonly used for blood donation as the resulting lower pressure is less harmful to red blood cells it also allows more blood to be collected in a shorter time. The smallest is a 23 gauge which is most often the butterfly style needle. Smaller gauge needles are used if an injectable fluid is thick or if blood is being collected for transfusion.

I agree that an insulin needle is not appropriate for a blood draw it s meant for a subq injection. Butterfly needles are measured in gauges and typically range in size from 18 gauge to 27 gauge. You can t use a 20 g on a baby. So always check with your organization s policy.

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1 the short needle length allows the phlebotomist to insert it at a shallow angle that can increase the ease of use. The standard size needle for drawing blood is a 22 gauge. The common butterfly needles are 1 2 to 3 4 inches long and come in a range of gauges with 21 and 23 gauge the most frequently used. However this mostly applies in the high range with 23 gauge needles and higher predisposing the sample to hemolysis the destruction of rbcs which causes problems for some blood tests namely the cbc.

Some hospitals allow you to use 20 or 22 gauge iv needles in the adult population however some do not and may require a central line. The higher the number is the smaller or thinner the needle size is. Gauge sizes do affect the red blood cells rbcs. Most hospital protocols will outline for you what gauge of iv needles you can use for blood product administration.

While the size can vary most needle sizes are 21 to 23 gauge. For intramuscular injections the recommended needle gauge ranges between 26 and 30. Inserting a needle is an invasive procedure but it is a reality of life. For intradermal injections the recommended needle gauge is 26 to 28.

We definitely draw blood from 24 g ivs when placed or 25 g butterfly needles in pediatrics. The largest is probably the 21 gauge but bigger ones can be used. The needle is small if the gauge and number are high. Needles in common medical use range from 7 gauge the largest to 33 the smallest.

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Most butterfly needles range from 18 to 27 gauge. For subcutaneous injections the recommended needle gauge ranges between 19 and 27.