What Are Medical Needles Used For?

What Are Medical Needles Used For?
Medical needles and syringes are simple tools, yet have a variety of uses, medical and not. What is A Medical Needle? Medical needles, often called hypodermic needles, are small, hollow needles that inject and/or extract substances from the body. In fact, if you break down the word hypodermic, it literally translates to under(hypo) and skin(dermic). The second part of a medical needle is typically a syringe. Think of the syringe as a storage and delivery device. They attach to the needle and either hold the substance that is going to be injected or are used as storage for the substance being removed. What Can Needles be Used For? Medical Use As you would expect, the key job of medical needles is to both take liquid samples from the body and/or deliver liquids as quickly as possible, if needed. Needles aren’t only used to deliver substances because they act quickly, as a matter of fact, a measurable amount is used when a substance cannot be safely or effectively administered through oral consumption. Some substances either won’t absorb correctly (such as insulin in diabetics) or may harm the liver. Research Needles are also praised for their use in research requiring sterile environments. Due to their design, hypodermic needles combat contamination. They are extremely smooth, which in turn prevents foreign substances from getting stuck on any imperfections (grooves, nics, etc) and accidentally injected upon insertion. Another physical characteristic that helps in the fight against contamination is their extremely sharp points. The sharp points reduce the size of the hole needed to break the skin, further preventing even the peskiest of contaminants from entering what would normally be a wound and a site prime for infection Bonus: Larger needles can be used to quickly drain fluids in medical emergencies, such as fluid in the lungs or treating extreme blood loss and shock Non-medical Use Though originally developed and manufactured for medicinal use, medical needles have made their way to every day, nonmedical use. Medical needles have their use outside of the doctor's office or lab. Chefs have seen the potential of medical needles in the kitchen, often used for precise plating during competitions. The needles are used to administer intricate designs made of liquid foods, typically condiments. It doesn’t stop in the kitchen, arts and craft enthusiasts have also found the use of medical needles in their hobbies. Much like chefs, artists use medical needles for intricate details that may not be accomplished as well in traditional mediums, such as paintbrushes. They are also very useful when applying glue in hard to reach areas, or areas that need precision, in model building and other crafting hobbies! Though these are obviously not used in for their original intentions, they work well. We suggest exercising extreme caution when handling medical needles The Many Uses of Medical Needles Medical needles are simple and effective devices that changed the medical world upon their development and continue to make a difference to this day. Like most devices, they have even found a home outside their original intended uses in the art world. Whatever your need for medical needles, make sure you purchase from a reputable source that provides only high-quality products.