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Peripheral venous cannulation is a basic and very common clinical procedure routinely required in hospital settings. The size of the cannula varies with its color code, also known as the cannula color size.
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Understanding Cannula Color Size
Knowing the cannula color size is crucial for selecting the appropriate cannula for various medical procedures.
| Size (Gauge) | Color | Flow rate (ml/min) | Uses |
| 14 | Brown | 300 | Large bore access for rapid volume replacement. |
| 16 | Grey | 200 | Large bore access for rapid volume replacement. |
| 17 | White | 140 | Large bore access for rapid volume replacement. |
| 18 | Green | 90 | Routine IV fluids and medications. |
| 20 | Pink | 61 | Routine IV fluids and medications. |
| 22 | Blue | 36 | Patients with small veins, pediatrics. |
| 24 | Yellow | 20 | Pediatrics. |
| 26 | Purple | 14 | Pediatrics. |
Parts
Uses:
- Intravenous fluids administration.
- Intravenous medications.
- Intravenous fluid correction.
- Blood transfusion.
Contraindications:
- Patient denial/ lack of consent.
- Cellulitis over the area of insertion.
- Superficial or deep venous thrombosis.
- Ipsilateral arterio-venous fistula.
Complications:
- Failed cannulation.
- Cellulitis.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Air embolism.
