HaemoD Needle Colours

[Poppylicious]

I realise this has probably been answered elsewhere and I promise I did do a search, but couldn't find anything.  It might be that my brain just isn't working ('tis full of fuzzles and cold, see) tonight.

So, Blokey has been using his fistula for a few weeks now and doesn't actually know what the needle colours mean.  He could ask, of course, but I think he feels as though they're so busy and it's such a trivial question, he doesn't want to bother them.

I was reminded of this because he just texted me to say they're using the purple needles tonight.  Usually they use orange, I think.

So, what do the colours mean?

Cheers, dears!

(I realise I could also have Googled this, but why waste time Googling when there's an army of folk here who really know their stuff?)

 

[FindingNeverland]

Well, in my clinic different colored needles signifies different needle sizes. I went from green (16 gauge) to blue (15 gauge) and now they want me to use white needles which is 14 gauge. The white ones scare me a little...

[Pam]

I go to a Fresenius Clinic

17g red
16g green
15g orange
14g blue
I could not tell the difference when they changed needle size.

[Rerun]

Mine are blue and they are 15 gage.

Needles size numbers mean.... the bigger the number the smaller the needle.  So  a size 12 is huge and a size 28 is tiny.

In dialysis a size 14 is big and a 17 is smaller.

Hope this helps.       

[Riki]

Mine are blue, and they are 15s... I think these are Baxter needles.. I think all the supplies are Baxter.  I remember using red ones and green ones, but I don't remember the sizes.  The color on the single needle setups are yellow.  I don't know what the size is on those.

[RightSide]

Well, in my clinic different colored needles signifies different needle sizes. I went from green (16 gauge) to blue (15 gauge) and now they want me to use white needles which is 14 gauge. The white ones scare me a little...

Wow.  I don't think anybody at my center uses needles bigger than 15 gauge.  (that's the gauge I use.)

I'll have to ask my neph about that!

[chiefsfan301]

I go to a Fresenius Clinic and use 15g blue

[Jean]

Well, I wish they would tell us ahead of time, after all, when I start D, I want to dress to match my needles. Correct???

[Bruno]

I use 15 G blunts, which are mauve, with yellow orange 15 G sharps if I have problems. They come from Fresenius.

[Poppylicious]

Thank you, my lovelies.  I suppose my next question should really be:

Why do the needles have to be different sizes? 

 

[Riki]

the bigger the needle, the more blood can go through?  Is my guess anyway.

[Rerun]

Yes, that is right.  More blood going through means a cleaner you.  Also, the smaller ones are for those just starting out or having trouble.

I personally won't go to 14 because they leave a huge hole and I have trouble with scabbing.

[hexoffender]

I used to get 14's in my old unit, but the unit im at now doenst keep them in stock. I think its because the majority of their patients are elderly, from the nursing home.

[Stoday]

I only have 40mm between my A and V buttonholes; I don't think I could take larger needles than the 16 gauge I'm using now because of the back circulation.

[Poppylicious]

Okay, that all makes sense.  Thank you!

 

[Bruno]

I always thought they started you off on a small needle and worked up to the big ones, at least that is what happened to me. I remember very well when, after some weeks , Nurse Liz said to me, "Today we are going to try 15 gauge needles" and I took one look at them and said "Bloody hell...those aren't needles, they're drain pipes" and that's what we've called them ever since.
Enough of my gripes, I think they work up to the largest needle, use it for a while (all on the same access) and then switch to 15 g blunts and that's how you get a button hole, folks.

[Riki]

I only have 40mm between my A and V buttonholes; I don't think I could take larger needles than the 16 gauge I'm using now because of the back circulation.

mine are closer than that, and I use 15s, but I don't have buttonholes, so that could be the difference