How to Properly Use a Butterfly Needle

A butterfly needle is a small gauge venipuncture needle with a plastic wing-like attachment that helps to stabilize the needle and make it easier to handle. Butterfly needles are used to draw blood from children and infants, as well as adults who have small veins or veins that are inclined to roll. The butterfly needle is attached to a flexible plastic tube which may be connected to a syringe or a vacuum tube holder.

Things You'll Need

• Tourniquet
• Butterfly needle set
• Syringe or vacuum tube holder and vacuum tube
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball
• Sharps container
• Adhesive bandage

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Instructions

• 1

  Place the tourniquet around the patient's upper arm. Examine the arm to find an appropriate vein.

• 2

  Swab the area around the vein with alcohol. Remove the safety cap from the butterfly needle. Holding the needle by the plastic wings, insert the needle into the vein at a shallow angle. Blood should start to flow.

• 3

  Release the tourniquet when your syringe or vacuum tube is almost full. When you've collected the amount of blood you need, remove the needle, and cover the puncture site with a cotton ball. Have the patient hold pressure on the cotton.

• 4

  Disconnect the vacuum tube from the holder, or transfer the blood from the syringe into a collection tube. Dispose of the butterfly needle set, tubing and syringe or holder in a sharps container. Hold the needle by the plastic wings when placing it in the sharps container to prevent the needle from twisting back on the tubing and accidentally sticking you.

• 5

  Cover the venipuncture site and cotton ball with an adhesive bandage.