|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Technique for Starting a Butterfly Needle

A butterfly needle a short needle that is attached to a small tube and is mainly used for adults and children who have small veins. The typical gauge range for this needle is 21 to 25. There is a specific technique for starting or inserting a butterfly needle because it is smaller than standard needles.

  1. Finding a Vein

    • Before inserting the butterfly needle, the sight must be prepared. First, the phlebotomist or person drawing blood must wear gloves to prevent contamination. The phlebotomist must find a convenient vein for drawing blood such as the on the outside of the forearm or on the back of the hand. Palpate, or feel the vein with your fingers for direction, size, and firmness to determine if the vein is acceptable to use. If it is not, then you must move on and find another one. Not all veins are the same in a person, and you must search for a suitable vein.

    Preparation

    • Once you find a suitable vein, the insertion area must be cleansed with an agent such as ethyl alcohol, iodine, or providone-iodine. First, you must ask if the patient has had previous allergic reactions to any of the cleansing agents, as some people are allergic to iodine. Avoid touching the cleansed area with your glove since you could contaminate the sight. Wrap a tourniquet around the injection site to dilate the vein. Ask the patient to make a tight fist while you are looking for the vein to make it bulge.

    Drawing the Blood

    • The method for inserting a butterfly needle is similar to regular needles, but because you are dealing with small veins, practice is helpful to achieve precision. Hold the needle at a 30 degree angle, with the tip of the needle pointed at the direction of the flow of blood, and pierced through the skin directly into the vein. A little resistance will be felt as the tip goes through the subcutaneous tissue, but a sudden resistance will be felt when the needle tip hits the vein wall. When this happens, hold the needle flush with the skin. If blood is not flowing into the hub of the needle at this point, it is best to remove the needle and try again. Fold over the handles on the butterfly needle and position flat against the skin with adhesive tape.

    Removing the Needle

    • After you are finished drawing blood, you will need to carefully remove the needle. Apply pressure with your hand to the insertion site after you have removed the needle. Add antimicrobial ointment and a sterile dressing to the insertion site to avoid infection. Tape down the dressing with adhesive tape.

Public Health - Related Articles