When taking a phlebotomy course in NYC, you’ll learn about and practice administering a variety of needles, including butterfly needles. Butterfly needles, which are also known as a winged infusion set or a scalp vein set, are commonly used on babies, young children, and the elderly in order to draw blood or to administer medication using an IV.
Here’s what you need to know about butterfly needles, including when to use them and why they’re used.
Butterfly Needles 101
A butterfly needle is used to access a superficial vein and can be used for drawing blood as well as for an IV injection. These needles are much easier to use and are much less painful for patients. This is because of the winged tubing which allows for greater flexibility. If you need to draw blood from a patient with small veins or ones that are hard to see and feel, it’s best to use a butterfly needle.
Butterfly needles are available in a gauge bore range of 18 to 27. The most commonly used gauge bores are 21G and 23G, while extremely small gauge bores like 25G and 27G are rarely used because they cause the blood sample to clot, making it invalid to use for testing.
As you’ll learn when undergoing phlebotomy training in NYC, you’ll want to use a 23G needle when working with pediatric and geriatric patients, as well as those with difficult veins, especially when administering the needle in the hand.
A larger needle, such as a 21G, is best used for drawing blood as the needle is a little thicker and allows more blood to be collected quicker.
Since butterfly needles are often less painful than straight needles, you may encounter patients who specifically ask you to use a butterfly needle. What’s important is that you use the proper gauge to get the job done effectively, quickly, and, most importantly, as pain-free as possible.
Types of Butterfly Needles
The most standard type of butterfly needle is the standard safety device. This needle comes in a variety of sizes and consists of tubing, a needle, and a hub or luer lock.
After performing venipuncture, you must hold the hub of the butterfly to activate the safety mechanism. Once the needle is out, you pull the tubing and cover the needle using the safety device.
A newer type of butterfly needle is the pushbutton safety device which offers a slide and lock safety device. This minimizes the risk of accidental needle sticks.
Benefits of Butterfly Needles
While straight needles are much easier to use, butterfly needles offer a variety of benefits, including:
- Minimal pain for the patient
- Ability to reach more body surface
- Designed for angle insertion
- Able to be used on wrist, hand, and scalp veins
By understanding these benefits and knowing when to use butterfly needles, you can master your phlebotomy courses in NYC and eventually start your career in the healthcare and medical industries!
All About Our Phlebotomy Program
While there are all sorts of training centers that offer students the ability to earn a phlebotomy certification in NYC, ABC Learning Center is the ideal location to get the training you need.
At our center not only will you learn the skills needed to become a phlebotomist, you’ll also learn the skills needed to work as an EKG technician. Our EKG and Phlebotomy courses teach you not only how to administer needles, but how to administer stress tests, basic EKGs, and Holter monitoring.
What’s even better is that our phlebotomy and EKG training in NYC courses are affordable. The total cost of the program is $1,700, and you can have your certification in just 8 weeks!
Kickstart your career with our phlebotomy training in NYC. Call us today at (718) 364-6700 to enroll or to learn about our other programs.
Unlike standard measurement systems, there is an inverse relationship for the gauge numbers and the size of needles. As the gauge number increases, the needle width gets narrower. For example, a 22g needle is thinner than a 21g. This difference is critical to remember, as there is no uniform gauge size for all phlebotomist patients. Each needle varies in their blood flow rate and compatibility with specific vein types.Although 21, 22, and 23 gauge needles are three of the most common needles, a broad knowledge of all needle types is beneficial to accommodate the different sizes of veins and tissues the phlebotomist may come across.
18 Gauge Needles
18g needles are not used for routine blood draws. A needle this large is used for donating more substantial quantities of blood that require a faster blood flow rate, such as blood donor units and therapeutic phlebotomy. The 18g needle comes attached to the collection bag and does not require additional assembly.
21 Gauge Needles
21g needles are the most common gauge of needles used for routine blood draws and venipuncture. The gauge is small enough in which it does not cause any significant pain or discomfort during use. For most patients, their veins are of a size and stability that is best suited for the 21g needle. In some circumstances, however, it may be required to use a smaller size needle than 21g.
The 21g needle does not force blood through a narrow needle bore, which prevents the rupture of the blood components that need to be analyzed and ensures specimen integrity. The 21g needle allows blood to flow at a steady rate, which accelerates collection time and is traditionally color-coded with a green covering.
22 Gauge Needles
Depending on the facility, 22g needles are occasionally utilized for routine blood draws. The slightly smaller size may assist the phlebotomist with slightly smaller veins they may encounter on older children or adult patients. This needle can be assembled with the more common multi-sample needle ETS system and tends to have a black color code covering.
23 Gauge Needles
23g needles, also known as butterflies, are used when a person’s vein is much narrower than average. It is light blue color coded. Despite the phlebotomist’s efforts to anchor the vein, the patient may be unwell or have minimal sites to choose a vein from, requiring a smaller needle.
Small children and infants are the most common patients to be drawn on using a 23g needle also as their veins are naturally much thinner than those of an adult. Some adult veins, however, do require the use of a butterfly.
23g needles are part of a winged infusion system (butterfly), not the multi-sample needle ETS system. Needles smaller than a 23g might hemolyze the red blood cells, and the sample could not be processed for testing. For instance, a 25g needle is better suited for intramuscular injections than blood draws.
Gaining Experience with Various Needle Gauges
In our Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) course, PhlebotomyU students earn practical experience with multiple needle types. Through this course, our students gain over 80 hours of in-classroom knowledge and 40-120 hours at an externship site to enhance their phlebotomy skills.