angiocath versus butterfly

actioncat · Jun 27, 2005

In the hospital where I work we have a choice between 3 methods. The 1st is the typical angiocath that we are all familiar with. The next choice is a butterfly needle that is usually a small calaber needle to use on babies & older pts with spider veins. Now we come to the 3rd choice which is my favorite. This device is called an Intima. These are wonderful. They come in various sizes that can be small, like a 22 g. intima, or they also come in sizes up to 18g & beyond. They thread in similarly as a butterfly, after you advance the needle in, you can then pull out the metal introducer which then just leaves a flexible piece of plastic in the pts vein. another great thing about them is that they have 2 lumens. Both can be hep-locked to use occ. or you could run fluids through 1 port & give push drugs for the other port.
The more that I use the intimas the better I like them. I'm not sure what company makes them but if anyone is interested I can get the info about what company makes them.

Yes, that is exactly what I was talking about! i am sorry to the other posters that I did not make myself clear. We use the intima sets much more. I know this is not the norm. I have only used the other (more common) type once. The one thing I like aobut the intima sets is that you do not have to use extension tubing and they seem more stable because of that.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2005

Ok, older paramedic (16 years) newer nurse (12 years). I really have no preferences, I just use what is available. Maybe having to use many different types of IV catheters along the line has made me a bit more flexible. When I come across one I am not familar with I simply open one item first, familarize myself with it then open a new one when I am familar with its feel and characteristics. Yeh it slows down the insertion by about one minute, but most for me anymore are not in acute setting so not a problem.