16G or 18G for IV access?

[k_cole21]

Just curious to know what your protocols are in your L&D. I've only used 18G needles until now. The hospital I'm currently at requires 16G for L&D. It's been a challenge for me to use that huge needle!

[ras188]

18g are big enough as it is. We have one ansthesia dr who wants a 16g once in a while but he is the only one who requests them. Who wants a garden hose in their arm anyway?

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

I am an IV Therapy nurse. Our L&D patients get an 18 or 20, usually a 20. Traumas get 18's, 16's in the field by the medics. Larger doesn't always mean better, it means greater risk for phlebitis and decreased patient comfort. The better the blood flow around the IV catheter, the better the IV.

That's exactly what I was going to say. You can't infuse your large volumes quickly if you don't have good flow. You can actually cause more problems putting HUGE caths in little veins. Not to mention your site will go bad quicker.

[ras188]

That's exactly what I was going to say. You can't infuse your large volumes quickly if you don't have good flow. You can actually cause more problems putting HUGE caths in little veins. Not to mention your site will go bad quicker.

jeepgirl=By the way---congrats on your BSN! Hope to get there someday myself unless I get to old to in the meantime!!! :rotfl:

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

jeepgirl=By the way---congrats on your BSN! Hope to get there someday myself unless I get to old to in the meantime!!! :rotfl:

Thanks! I still have this big "senior capstone" paper to turn in in a few weeks... but otherwise I'm getting reallllly excited!

[ttt]

Routine labors get an 18 gauge. Scheduled c/s or other procedures get a 16ga.--sometimes high risk patients get 2 or 3 16 gauges--and absolutely no helplocks if they are getting an epidural--the anesthesiologists have a fit --in case they need to pump in huge volumes of fluid.