needle question

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Are filter needles and blunt needles the same thing?

Thanks in advance :)

Specializes in ED/trauma.
Are filter needles and blunt needles the same thing?

Thanks in advance :)

The only reason I know to use filter needles are when you're drawing up from an ampule, the purpose being to filter out any glass that may have broken in the liquid. You then toss it & switch it with a regular needle for the injection.

I don't know what a blunt needle is, other than those that aren't really needles but actually plastic (blunt but shaped like needles) and used for needless access systems.

Specializes in Cardiac.

Blunt needles are just needles that aren't sharp, and like mentioned above, filter needles are used to filter out glass from ampules.

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

So is there a difference between blunt needles and blunt plastic cannulas? I know what blunt plastic cannulas are... but I don't know if they are different from blunt needles. When the OP mentioned blunt needles I automatically pictured the cannula kind.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
So is there a difference between blunt needles and blunt plastic cannulas?

Yep. The blunt needles cardiacRN2006 pictured are used to repair PICC lines lines when the plastic hub is broken or cracked. They probably have other uses too, although I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.
Yep. The blunt needles cardiacRN2006 pictured are used to repair PICC lines lines when the plastic hub is broken or cracked. They probably have other uses too, although I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Thank you! :bow:

Specializes in Cardiac.

We actually use them for conscious sedation, because they are red. We use the filter needles for the fentanyl ampules, and the blunts for the versed.

Then we use the plastic ones for Aline draws.

The only blunt needle I have used was metal and it was used to access arterial line self-sealing hubs for blood sampling. They have since gone to needless systems for accessing aterial lines where I used to work.

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