Needles

Needle Gauges

As a rule of thumb, each successive needle gauge is about 11 percent smaller than the previous size on this needle gauge size chart. For example with lower gauge needles:

Each needle gauge comes in various lengths for different applications. For example, a needle for injecting pain medications into the spinal region is much longer than a lancet for pricking a finger.

Single-use needles connect to syringes via a Luer lock connector, a plastic screw-on sleeve that is color coded using the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO6009 as seen in the final column of the table above. Syringes are simple plastic pumps. Each one consists of a plunger within a barrel. As you pull the tube out, it draws in liquid, and as you push the plunger in, it ejects the liquid through the hollow needle and into the patient’s body.

What Are the Most Common Needle Gauges for Medical Use?

The needles you will see most often in hospitals, ERs and doctors’ practices are within the range from 18 to 29. Needle sizes below 18 become progressively thicker as they count down to the largest, gauge 1. They become extremely fine as the needles gauge climbs into the mid-30s.

You might see larger needle sizes, like an 16-gauge, in an intensive care unit where the patient needs a higher than average volume of fluid than smaller needle sizes can handle. On the flip side, an assisted living caregiver may use smaller needle sizes, such as a 32-gauge, to give injections to elderly people with small veins. In general, though, the mid-range needle gauges ranging from an 18 to a 29 needle gauge size answer most medical uses.

• 18 gauge needles have the capacity to give a relatively large volume of fluids more rapidly than smaller needle sizes. If a trauma patient needs an infusion of blood or drugs immediately, the 18 needle gauge size can deliver it.
• 19 gauge needles, although slightly smaller than the 18 needles gauge, also have the capacity for pushing fluids. You may see the 19 needles gauge in use at a blood donation drive due to its capacity.
• 20 gauge needles work well for intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. This needle gauge is small enough in diameter so they don't cause exceptional discomfort yet stout enough to penetrate tough tissues.
• The 21 needles gauge is one of the most popular needle sizes for drawing blood and giving hormone injections. 21 gauge needles are a common choice for subcutaneous muscle injections too.
• 22 gauge needles are a versatile needles gauge for a number of medical uses. For example, physicians use this needle gauge for extracting tissue for biopsy.
• 23 gauge needles are an effective needles gauge for steroid, naloxone and hormone injections. Medical professionals use this needles gauge in a longer for spinal injections as well.
• 24 gauge needles for many types of routine injections. It is also known as a pediatric needle because it is a small enough needles gauge for children’s injections.
• 25 gauge needles are slender enough to be an ideal needles gauge for giving vaccinations with minimal pain. Doctors use needle sizes in this range for injecting hormones or steroids as well as spinal pain blocks.
• About 11 percent smaller in diameter, 26 gauge needles are a common size for intravenous injections. They also are an efficient option for subcutaneous injections and vaccinations.
• 27 gauge needles are one of the most-used needle sizes. Because they are slim in diameter, they cause little discomfort to patients. Diabetics also favor the 27g needle for their regular insulin shots.
• Pediatric vaccinations and at-home injections are some of the uses for 28 gauge needles. This is a good needle size for medications that only need to go under the skin rather than into a vein or muscle.
• 29 gauge needles are a good choice for beneath the skin injections in the extremities. The veins in the hands and feet are close to the skin surface and typically smaller in size than other veins in the body, so a 29 needles gauge is a good fit.

Needle Types

You’ll find so many needles with specific designs, sizes and features, that selecting what to order for your facility can be daunting. Once you become familiar with some of the most common types of needles and their uses, though, choosing the right products gets easier. Below are some of the needle usage types you’ll come across in our catalog.

• Biopsy Needles - When there is a need for sample cells or a small amount of tissue to test for the presence of cancer or other diseases, surgeons use a biopsy needle to extract those samples.
• Disposable Needles - Disposable needles are by far the most-used type in medical settings. They are sterile, single-use and detachable from the syringe. A Luer lock, which is ISO6009 color-coded, connects the disposable needle to the syringe.
• Echogenic Needles - Specialized echogenic needles are designed for visibility during ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. Echogenic needles feature an ECHO 360-degree dimple reflector on their tips that show up better on the ultrasound screen, helping an anesthetist accurately position the pain-blocking medication.
• Epidural Needles - Epidural needles must be strong enough to penetrate layers of tough tissue and long enough to reach the lower spinal region. 18g to 23g needles are the most common needle gauges for this type of injection.
• Huber Needles - Also called a non-coring needles, the Huber needle has a specially beveled point that creates a slit rather than a round hole when it enters an implanted port. The Huber needle is often used for chemotherapy.
• Hypodermic Needle - Available in a full spectrum of sizes, a hypodermic needle can be reusable or single use. When paired with a syringe or an IV drip, a hypodermic needle can inject fluids or withdraw them.
• Infusion Needles - Infusion needles deliver intravenous fluids or extract blood. When collecting several vials of blood, the phlebotomist may use a winged infusion set or a mini-loc safety set, which holds the needle in place while changing collection tubes.
• Injection Needles - Many types and gauges of injection needles partner with syringes for medical use. Those with lower gauge numbers are suited to higher volume fluid injections and blood draws. As the gauge number goes up, smaller needles provide options for vaccinations and subcutaneous injections.
• Keith Needle - The Keith needle is a long, lower-gauge needle for abdominal repair after surgery. It is strong enough to suture fibrous tissue. A Keith needle may be straight or curved.
• Magellan Needles - Magellan needles are designed to prevent accidental pricks to the caregiver. They have a retractable safety shield that slides into place after the injection is complete.
• Monopolar needles feature an electrode at one end. This type of needle, used in EMG testing, has a finely sharpened point and a Teflon coating that makes insertion into muscle tissue smoother. The very tip of the monopolar needle is uncoated and acts as an electron.
• Permanent Needles - Permanent needles do not detach from the syringe. In specific cases, you can use them more than once. For example, you might use one for daily injections of insulin into a port in the skin.
• Safety Needles - Safety needles prevent needlesticks to healthcare workers giving injections. The needle retracts into an attached safety barrel or shield to protect workers from any pathogens present in the patient’s blood.
• Surgical Needles - Surgical needles include sharps involved in the surgery process and/or suturing. Surgical suture needles are typically curved to make stitching skin edges easier.
• Quincke Needles - Quincke needles are a type of needle caregivers use to administer spinal pain block medication. Ranging in length from 3.5 to 6-inches, this needle has a specially designed bevel-cutting tip that spreads the skin apart rather than puncturing it. By reducing tissue damage, the Quincke needle may minimize the risk of a post-dural headache.

Needle Suppliers

Many manufacturers of medical products supply standard and specialized needles plus the syringes that go with them. Most of the needles are single use, but some of the needles designed for special purposes, such as the monopolar needle, may be reusable. Below are some of our trusted needle suppliers and the types of needles they provide.

• Ambu Needles - Healthcare workers use Ambu needles for neurologic applications. Ambu Neruoline EMG needles are used to test motor neurons that control the muscular system.
• B Braun Needles - In hospitals and healthcare facilities, caregivers use B Braun needles for spinal injections such as epidurals. They also supply Huber needles.
• BD Needles - Made by one of the leading manufacturers of medical products, BD needles cover a broad spectrum of medical uses. Designed for safety, these needles prevent accidental sticks to medical staff after the injection is complete.
• Carefusion Needles - Carefusion needles for aspiration, biopsy and bone marrow extraction make safety a priority. The BD medical supply company acquired Carefusion in 2015, but the company has retained its individual branding.
• Cook Medical Needles - Cook Medical needles include AcuJet Flex needles for endoscopy. The company also makes biopsy and aspiration needles.
• Covidien Needles - Covidien needles include aluminum hub needles and Magellan safety sharps that prevent accidental sticks. Covidien also supplies standard single-use needles in different gauges.
• CR Bard Needles - Winged infusion sets are some of the products in the CR Bard needles line. The company, a subsidiary of BD, also supplies biopsy needles.
• Exel Needles - Single-use hypodermic needles are part of the Exel needles product line. The company also supplies needles for dental use, spinal injections and blood collection.
• Hakko Needles - Hakko needles are used for ultrasound procedures. The firm also supplies needles in longer lengths for spinal injections.
• Medline Needles - Needle lancets for blood testing, needles for irrigation and single-use needles in various sizes are all part of the Medline needles product list. Medline also makes electrode needles for medical tests.
• Smith Medical Needles - Smith Medical needles include infusion kits and arterial blood sample kits. Smith needles supplies catheter and safety needs too.
• Terumo Needles - Terumo needles include standard single-use gauges as well as winged infusion sets and catheter needles. Terumo supplies blood test lancets too.

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