A prospective comparison study between a butterfly needle and a Teflon cannula for subcutaneous narcotic administration

To evaluate the hypothesis that subcutaneous sites initiated with the Teflon cannula would have longer durations and be more comfortable for the patient than the butterfly needle, we performed a prospective randomized crossover trial to compare the 25-gauge butterfly needle to a Teflon cannula with a 26-gauge introducer needle and a 24-gauge cannula. The analysis of 20 patients showed that duration of the subcutaneous site was significantly longer with the Teflon cannula. Both patients and nurses preferred the Teflon cannula because it did not need to be changed as frequently. There was no difference reported in the level of comfort.