Needle help

[blondie2505]

Could someone please tell me what all the different colours of the needles mean so i can get the correct ones for IM.

[fbirder]

Different colours mean different diameters (gauges). The smaller the gauge number, the bigger the hole down the middle. Most of the colours come in different lengths. Some people may try to tell you that the colour and gauge are not connected. They're wrong. It's an international standard (ISO 6009:2016).

Here's a guide - nipro.co.jp/en/business/dev...

Most people use a green needle of any length to draw the solution up and a blue needle to inject. The length you need depends on how much fat the needle needs to get through first.

unionmedico.com/expanded-ne...

[Galixie in reply to fbirder]

That chart is really interesting. If I'm reading it correctly, it says that 25 gauge needles should be orange. I just bought some syringes today that are 25 gauge and they are definitely blue. They look like this one: allegromedical.com/browse/V...

But I'm in the US and I buy BD syringes, so maybe that chart is only for one particular company or set of companies?

Edited to add that I also just found this chart from BD that appears to be from 2001 showing the new international standard colors that match the other chart. So it's a mystery why all the 25 gauge syringes I've ever gotten were always blue. You'd think they'd have used up all the backstocked product by now. Hmm.

bd.com/resource.aspx?IDX=11201

[fbirder in reply to Galixie]

I think that the ISO refers to separate needles. I've seen syringes with attached needles, like the ones you link to, of various hues.

[Galixie in reply to fbirder]

The syringe I linked to has a removable needle (the part that is blue is the base of that removable needle). It is packaged all as one intact syringe, but definitely does come apart.

I always prefer the removable needles because I can swap one out if I bend one (which was more of a problem for me when I used a thinner gauge).

[Hillwoman]

I inject B12 subcut, but I do IM magnesium injections into my chunky thigh. For those I use a 25mm/1" orange 25G needle, which I think just about reaches muscle. I can feel rather more resistance against the tip of the needle before it's fully inserted.

[Slosh]

Help - I have had friends (ex nurses) inject me into my bottom - (upper outer quadrant) - I would imagine that this would be considered subcut as the needles are fairly short - is this ok / beneficial?