Selecting The Right Syringe Size And Needle Size For An Injection

If you're given a drug to take at home, like fertility drugs or hormones, vitamin B12 shots, insulin, epinephrine, cancer drugs, you'll have a number of important obligations.

 

It's crucial to know how to safely inject your medication. Also, you will need to know how to buy the needles and other syringes you need. These items can be purchased separately. They're made to fit together with ease.

 

You need to use the correct size needle and syringe in order to get the correct amount of medicine. The procedure will be more comfortable and less painful when you choose the right size needle.

 

A nurse or your health care provider can assist you administer shots at home. They can also show you the right needles and syringes to use. However, it is important to know the fundamental principles of syringes needles sizing so you don't make mistakes when it's time to replace them.

 

This article explains how needles and syringes are sized. It also offers guidelines for choosing the correct size for the injection you need to administer.

 

Syringe Sizes

 

syringes are able to hold some quantity of liquid. There are two ways to measure them.

 

Syringe Measurement

 

For volume of liquid, milliliters (mL).

 

Cubic centimeters (cc) to measure the amount of solids

 

Whichever measurement is used 1 cc corresponds to 1 mL.2

 

You need to choose an syringe that can hold the dose you are prescribed when you inject your medication at home.

 

For example, if you're required to inject yourself three cc of substance, you'll need to choose a syringe that holds exactly 3 cc. If you opt for a syringe that can only hold 2 cc, you would have to inject yourself more times. This is a waste of time and effort.

 

However, it is harder to see the cc markings if the syringe holds 15cc. It is possible to get yourself too little or too many medications.

 

Needle-Sizes

 

Syringes are marked differently from needles. The packaging will have the number first, followed by the letter "G," and then another number.

 

The process of determining Needle Size

 

The needle's gauge is indicated by the first number before the letter G. This number indicates the needle's gauge.

 

The second number is the length of the needle in inches.

 

For instance, a G 1/2 needle is an gauge of 22 and the length is half an inch.

 

Needle-Gauge

 

If you have to inject yourself with a small amount of medication, it's likely to be less painful to use a thin needle with a high gauge, and not a wider, lower-gauge needle.

 

If you need to take larger doses of medication, a wider needle with a lower gauge is often a better option. Although it may cause more pain, a larger needle that is smaller in gauge will provide medicine faster than a smaller needle with a higher gauge.

 

Needle Length

 

The ideal needle length will depend on the height of the person. A small child might require a needle shorter than a tall adult. It is also essential to consider where you are planning to place the needle. Certain medications can be absorbed under the skin. Others need to be injected into muscles.

 

Subcutaneous injections are made into the fat tissue below the skin. These injections are extremely thin. The needle is short and thin, generally around one-half-to-five-eighths an inch in length with a gauge of 25 to 30.

 

Injections that are intramuscular go directly to the muscle. Muscle is deeper than skin, which is why the needle used for injections must be more affluent and longer. It is best to choose needles that have an angulation between 20 and 22 G and the length should be at least 1 to 1.5 inches.

 

Consider how fat the needle needs to go through. An inch-long needle might work for someone with a thin build. Someone heavier might need a needle that is an inch-and-a-half-long.

 

Summary

 

If you need to administer injections to yourself or someone in your home, knowing needle and syringe sizes can make that job a little more simple.

 

Syringes are able to hold liquids as well as solids. For liquids that are measured the tube is labelled with milliliters (mL). For measuring solids, you'll see cubic centimeters(cc). Choose insulin syringes the one that contains the exact amount you require.

 

Measurements of needles are made in a different manner. Gauge is the first number on the label for a needle. This is how big the needle is. Higher numbers mean thinner needles. The needle's length will be seen on the label, at the second number. It is recommended to use a larger needle if the medication is intended to enter the muscle. It is also necessary to have a longer needle for larger adults.

 

A word from Verywell

 

If you need to give your own or another person shots at home, you or a family member will have to know how to do it safely.

 

If you're unsure, reach out to the healthcare provider who prescribed the medication. Avoid blunders when giving shots or replacing supplies by understanding the fundamentals of labeling needles.