Chapter 8

Hypodermic Syringe Measurement

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 Syringe Volume Sizes
• 0.5 mL
• 1 mL
• 3 mL
• 5 mL
• 10 mL
• 20 mL
• 60 mL

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 Syringe Calibrations
• Regardless of syringe’s volume, calibrated
in milliliters
– Except specialized insulin syringes

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 How to Read a Syringe
• From top/front ring of plunger’s suction tip
• First long calibration always zero

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 3 mL Syringes
• Most common
• Should be calibrated using metric unit mL
– Some still include calibrations in cubic centimeter (cc)
• Essentially identical to mL

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 3 mL Syringes

Delmar/Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 3 mL Syringes
• Shorter calibration marks indicate tenths of
a mL
• Longer calibration marks indicate ½, 1, 1½,
2, 2½, and 3 mL
• Tenths of a mL written as decimal fractions
– e.g., 0.1 mL, 0.6 mL, 0.9 mL

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 3 mL Syringes
• What is the volume of medication in the
syringe?

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 Safety Syringes
• Developed to decrease risk of accidental,
contaminated needle sticks
• Variety currently manufactured
• Most health care facilities use some brand
• Become familiar with type used in local
clinical facility

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 Tuberculin (TB) Syringes
• Most common volume 1 mL
• Calibrated in hundredths
– Noted by shorter calibration marks
• Each tenth calibration mark has Arabic
number printed on syringe barrel
– e.g., .1, .2, .3, etc.
– Noted by longer calibration marks

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 TB Syringes

Delmar/Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 TB Syringes
• What is the volume of medication in the
syringe?
Delmar/Cengage Learning

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 Larger Volume Syringes
• Most common:
– 5 mL
– 10 mL
– 20 mL
– 60 mL

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 Larger Volume Syringes
• Shorter calibration marks located on 5 mL
and 10 mL syringes measure 0.2 mL
• Longer calibration marks measure 1 mL

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 5 mL Syringe

Delmar/Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 10 mL Syringe

Delmar/Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 10 mL Syringe
• What is the volume of medication in the
syringe?
Delmar/Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 Larger Syringes
• Syringes larger than 10 mL calibrated in
full mL measures

Copyright © 2010 Delmar, Cengage Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.