Syringes

Luer lock or Luer slip

Luer lock screws onto the needle and stays put as pressure rises — when flushing, with viscous drugs and wherever the connection must not slip. Luer slip is simply pushed on, is quicker and is enough for most injections.

The tip can sit in the middle (centric) or at the edge (eccentric). The eccentric tip lies closer to the skin and helps when the needle must follow a superficial vein; the centric tip is the default otherwise.

Three-part syringes (BD Emerald 3-part, Omnifix Solo) have a rubber-tipped plunger for a smoother, more even action — noticeable during slow injection and small volumes. Two-part syringes such as B. Braun Injekt have no rubber and suit settings where being latex- and silicone-free matters more than plunger feel.

Size and graduation

Choose the smallest syringe that holds the dose. Graduation gets finer as the syringe gets smaller — the 1 ml syringe has the 0.01 ml marks needed for small doses, 2 ml is graduated in 0.1 ml, 5 and 10 ml in 0.2 ml and 20 ml in whole millilitres. A dose drawn up in the bottom quarter of a large syringe is unreliable.

Draw up with a drawing-up needle and switch to an injection needle before injecting. The syringes are sterile single-use items, individually packed. For flushing a peripheral IV cannula there is the pre-filled BD PosiFlush with saline, which needs no drawing up at all.

Single or bulk

The same syringe usually comes both singly and in 50- or 100-packs. The single pack suits a first-aid kit and anyone who needs a few; the bulk pack is right for clinics, ambulances, sports clubs and companies that order regularly. Hjärtgruppen is registered with the Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) for the sale of syringes and needles and delivers to healthcare providers, companies and private individuals. Request a quote for larger volumes or recurring deliveries, or contact us if you are unsure about size and connector. See also needles and IV cannulas.