Needles & Syringes

What You Need to Know About Syringes

A syringe is made up of the following parts - a round cylindrical barrel, a piston-type rod known as the plunger and a tip, which provides the point of attachment to the needle. The graduation lines on the barrel indicate the amount of solution in the syringe. The size of the syringe could range from 0.5 ml to 60ml. For subcutaneous injections - injections given into tissues under the skin - or intramuscular injections - those given into the muscle - a 1ml to 3ml syringe is typically enough. For intravenous lines and irrigate wounds, larger syringes are required.

How are Syringes Classified?

Syringes are generally classified into two categories: Luer-Lok and non-Luer-Lok. This differentiation is based around the tip of the syringe. In simple terms, Luer-Lok syringes are the ones that require the needle to be twisted and locked into place, whereas non-Luer-Lok just requires the needle to be pressed on top tightly.

Insulin Syringes

Insulin is a hormone that is used to treat patients who have insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). It is administered with the help of small size syringes that have a volume of 0.3ml to 1ml. Insulin syringes are designed for self-administering and are used for subcutaneous injections.

Tuberculin Syringes

These syringes are used for tuberculosis testing. They are small in size and the liquid they contain is injected directly into the body. The barrel for a tuberculin syringe is long and thin that can hold up to 1 ml of fluid. It comes with a pre-attached needle. Keep in mind that even though this syringe is small in size, it cannot be used to administer insulin.

What You Need to Know About Needles?

Hypodermic needles are mostly made of stainless steel with a hole in the middle. The structure of a typical needle can be divided into three parts: the hub, which attaches to the syringe, the shaft, which is the length of the needle and the bevel, the slanted tip of the needle.

How are Needles Classified?

Needles are classified according to their length and diameter. The length ranges between 0.5 inches to 3 inches. And the diameter is measured in gauges. For instance, a 25-gauge needle would have a smaller diameter than a 19 gauge needle. Needle gauges range from 7 to 33, the latter being the smallest.

When administering medication, the viscosity of the medicine determines the gauge size. If the medication is viscous, a small gauge needle with a big diameter would do. Subcutaneous medication requires shorter needles while intramuscular medication will need long needles.

The selection of syringes and needles will essentially depend upon your use and the medication. If you are looking to buy needles and syringes online, make sure you choose an FDA regulated online pharmacy. At HealthWarehouse.com, all kinds of syringes and needles from reliable manufacturers are available. This online pharmacy has a broad selection of syringes and needles in different sizes and makes. With reliable manufacturers such as SureComfort and BD available, HealthWarehouse.com makes shopping easier, affordable and reliable.