Needle colour and gauge advice.

[SallyRees]

Hi, been IM injecting for a while now. I use the green needle to draw the B12 and use the orange needle to inject. I’d like to use a finer needle to inject and wondered what colour and “G” I should buy. I use medisave

many thanks 😊

[PAapr22]

hi these are super fine and work v well for IM in my leg. Unisharp - Needle: Brown 26G 25mm (1 inch) x 100.

[ClaireWF1346]

I use the orange to draw and the yellow 1/2" to inject SC into my tummy. It's both finer and shorter than orange but I do inject at 90 degrees using that rather than 45 degrees that I was taught with the 1" one.

[wedgewood in reply to ClaireWF1346]

Yes if you use a 1 inch needle for sub-cutaneous injections and don’t inject at 45 degrees, you will over - shoot the fat layer that you are aiming for . Much better to use a 1/2 inch needle and inject at 90 degrees. ( you could use a shorter needle) but choose a 30 G thickness . ( that’s very fine )

[SallyRees in reply to wedgewood]

Wedgewood, what colour are those? I’m quite thin, 7 stone and am unsure if I should use the shorter needle. Was always told to use 1”

[wedgewood]

Sorry don’t know the colour, but the measurements are always quoted when you are ordering . That shorter needle is referring to giving a sub-cutaneous injection , for which the needle should not be longer than 1/2 inch . Sub cutaneous injections are into the fat layer of the tummy or the front of the thigh . So a 1/2 inch needle or less is needed . 30 G is very fine .

Use a 1inch needle for an Intra-Muscular injection . Needs to be longer to reach the muscle , but not 30 G ( too thin) 25 or 26G is great .

[SallyRees in reply to wedgewood]

That’s what I figured, thanks Wedgwood. So the higher the G the finer the needle? Is there such a thing as too fine to use? Thank you 😊

[wedgewood in reply to SallyRees]

Yes —30’G is too fine for an I.M. injection . Could possibly break off at that 1inch length . Really unlikely with a good quality needle , but possible . Not advisable . Only obtainable for dentistry .

[SallyRees in reply to wedgewood]

Dentists! Chance would be fine thing 🙄 try getting hold of one of them is a nightmare

Re the needles, how high would you go G wise?

Thanks again, Wedgewood