Attributes of Hypodermic Needles Used During Internal Jugular Vein Cannulation
| Outside Diameter | Length | Bevel Bias Angleb | Tip Grind Typec | W-t-P Siliconed | W-t-P Latexd | Sharpness | Venipuncturesf, n=228 (122 male, 106 female) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | gaa | mm | mm | degrees | g | g | Classificatione | Total, n (%) | Male, n | Female, n | |
| Becton, Dickinson and Companyg | 21 | 0.8 | 25, 38, 51 | 15 | LP^ | 10.0 | 11.1 | A- | 93 (41) | 45 | 48 |
| Cook Medical SST-CSVh | 21 | 0.8 | 40 | 14 | LP^ | 11.0 | – | A- | 56 (25) | 27 | 29 |
| Navilyst Medical Inc/ AngioDynamicsi Cook Medical (SST)i | 21 | 0.8 | 70 | 22 | LP^ | 18.5 | 26.3 | B- | 37 (16) | 25 | 12 |
| Arrow-Teleflex Incorporatedj | 20 | 0.9 | 88 | 17 | BB^ | 18.1 | 13.7 | I- | 11 (5) | 7 | 4 |
| Arrow-Teleflex Incorporatedk | 18 | 1.3 | 64 | 25 | LP^ | 19.9 | 25.7 | B- | 31 (14) | 18 | 13 |
↵aBirmingham wire gauge.
↵bPrimary (first) needle grind (bias) angle, measured with respect to needle long axis using light microscopy, computerized photographic enlargement, and protractor.
↵cNeedle tip geometric classifications: LP^ – lancet point with all 3 grinds on the same side of the needle tip; BB^ – back bevel point with the second and third grinds on the opposite side of the tip from the first.
↵dW-t-P is the weight in grams needed for a needle and attached syringe, perched atop an elastomeric membrane, to puncture the membrane. Membranes were 270-μm thick silicone rubber (McMaster-Carr) or 400-μm thick latex (Covidien). Each value is a mean of 5 consecutive trials performed with at least 7 needles of the same type.
↵eNearest traditional sharpness classification, usually based on primary grind (bias) angle (A-, bias angle ∼12° [ie, intramuscular bevel]; B-, bias angle ∼18° [ie, venous bevel]), but here also classified based on our W-t-P determinations. Arrow-Teleflex Incorporated 20-gauge needles, having a nontraditional back-bevel tip grind geometry (bias angle 14°) and W-t-P values between A- and B- needles, are categorized as intermediate sharpness (I-).
↵fNumber of internal jugular vein cannulations using each needle type.
↵gMarketed for intramuscular/subcutaneous injection.
↵hExtra-sharp Cook Medical Micropuncture needle.
↵iNavilyst Medical Inc/AngioDynamics and Cook Medical (SST) microaccess needles all had traditional B- tip geometry and nearly identical W-t-P measurements.
↵jNeedle in the Arrow-Teleflex Incorporated central venous cannulation kit that is provided as a component of an 18-gauge catheter-over-20-gauge needle device. During this project, such needles were used without the catheter as part of the microaccess technique.
↵kBare cannulating needle in the Arrow-Teleflex Incorporated central venous cannulation kit.
BB, back bevel point; LP, lancet point; W-t-P weight to puncture.