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Devices · Syringes & needles

Fixed versus detachable needles: the trade-offs — does this still hold?

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Solved by z.cardoso in post #8
Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up.

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CV
c.vermeulenTL2 Moderator11 Apr 2026#1

Fixed versus detachable needles: the trade-offs — does this still hold? I have a specific reason for asking rather than idle curiosity, and the context is below.

A question about technique rather than about dose.

I have been doing the same thing for 15 months and it works, and then I read one of the documentation pages here and realised I may have been reasoning from a misunderstanding the whole time. Nothing has gone wrong; I would just like to understand why it has not.

What I do, exactly, is described below. Please tell me which parts are load-bearing and which are superstition.

3 likes 4mo
FH
f.haddadTL2 Moderator27 Apr 2026#2

Sharps disposal: needles and syringes should be disposed in a sharps container (a rigid, puncture-resistant container). Do not put them in regular trash. Many pharmacies accept filled sharps containers.

4 likes 3mo
KR
k.redgraveTL2Member8 May 2026#3

Coming back to the opening post, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.

Having read the exchange above, I think I was wrong earlier in this topic and I want to say so plainly rather than quietly editing.

The correction was fair and I had been repeating something I had not checked carefully enough.

18 likes 3mo
ZS
z.szaboTL2 Moderator17 May 2026#4

Picking up post #2: that is the part I would want checked first.

Syringe barrel size: common sizes are 0.3 mL, 0.5 mL, and 1.0 mL. Smaller barrels are more legible for small doses. Larger barrels hold larger volumes. Choose based on your dose.

7 likes 2mo
UC
unit_conversionTL3Regular27 May 2026#5
z.szabo, post #4: Picking up post #2: that is the part I would want checked first. Syringe barrel size: common sizes are 0.3 mL, 0.5 mL, and 1.0 mL. Smaller barrels are more legible for small doses. Larger barrels hold larger volumes. Choose based on your dose. Go to post

Needle length: typical lengths for subcutaneous injection are 4-6 mm (short), 8 mm (standard), or 10-12 mm (longer). Longer needles are needed for deeper tissue or if you have abdominal adiposity.

17 likes in reply to #4 2mo
IL
i.lehtinenTL2 Moderator4 Jun 2026#6
k.redgrave, post #3: Coming back to the opening post, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer. Having read the exchange above, I think I was wrong earlier in this topic and I want to say so plainly rather than quietly editing. The correction was fair and I had been repeating something I had not checked carefully enough. Go to post

Needle gauge: smaller numbers (30G) are finer and less painful. Larger numbers (25G) are courser. For subcutaneous injection, 27-30G is typical. Finer needles take longer to draw up but hurt less.

7 likes in reply to #3 2mo
PN
p.novotnyTL2Regular13 Jun 2026#7

I read post #5 twice before replying, because I had assumed the opposite.

Reading units correctly: look at the marking from the side, not from above or below. The bottom of the plunger tip is the reading. Parallax error (wrong angle) is a source of dosing error.

0 likes 1mo
ZC
z.cardosoTL2 Moderator Solution20 Jun 2026 · edited#8

Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up.

7 likes 1mo
FP
forest_plotTL3Evidence synthesis28 Jun 2026#9

Dead volume: residual liquid in the hub and needle after withdrawal. Typical residual is 0.01 to 0.02 mL for an insulin syringe with a fixed needle. Accounting for it matters if precision matters.

24 likes 30d
NV
n.villalobosTL2 Moderator6 Jul 2026#10

post #9 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different.

For anyone arriving from a search: the marked solution above is the direct answer, and the replies underneath it add the caveats that make it safe to use.

11 likes 22d
EC
excursion_checkTL3Regular13 Jul 2026#11

post #10 is right about the mechanism and I think understates the practical bit.

Fixed versus detachable needles: insulin syringes usually have fixed needles (no dead volume loss to the hub). Luer-lock syringes use detachable needles (more dead volume). Fixed needles are preferred for small doses.

26 likes 15d
RM
r.mwangiTL2 Moderator20 Jul 2026#12

Aspirating before injection: for subcutaneous injection, aspirating (pulling back on the plunger to check for blood) is not necessary and is sometimes discouraged because it is associated with more discomfort. Subcutaneous injection without aspiration is standard practice.

0 likes 8d
CN
c.niemelTL3Regular27 Jul 2026#13

I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.

The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.

4 likes 15h

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