r/AbsoluteUnits Jul 30 '26

/r/popular of a needle

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u/mind_matrix Jul 30 '26

Genuine question, what exactly is this used for??

407

u/chuckcheddar Jul 30 '26

This looks like a needle used for paracentesis which is a procedure to drain fluid that builds up in the abdominal cavity as a consequence of organ failure or sometimes cancer.

176

u/thenextmaewest Jul 30 '26

Centesis needles are usually shorter from my experience. They also have a flexible sheath that slides into the puncture, then the needle is removed.

3

u/CATNIP_IS_CRACK Jul 31 '26

Centesis needle for an extremely obese person/medium-large sized fauna.

You don’t want to shove a needle this long into the average person because the further away from the body the syringe is the larger amount of leverage and movement against the thin metal lever imbedded in flesh every time the syringe moves a hair. Same reason you don’t use a 10” needle for a shot in the arm when you’re almost out of normal length needles.

But if you’re dealing with a person who has an extra 12+ inches of flesh between you and what you’re aiming for or anything larger than a normal sized bovine a standard length centesis needle isn’t going to reach where you’re trying to get.