I will never understand why they use a 16G to draw blood and this is coming from someone that's been in healthcare for over a decade. I mean I know why bc blood is very thick and you need a big gauge to get blood as quickly as possible, but most people don't have great veins and you really have to have great veins to get stuck with a 16G. 18G would be more than sufficient to take blood. Hell, when I do phlebotomy we use 23-24G butterflies and that pulls blood just fine. Again, I know that the bigger the gauge, the faster you can give blood, but there's really no need to go bigger than an 18G.
It would also make it a lot easier for people to get IV's if they weren't only using 16G needles. I've heard from a lot of people that people at Red Cross typically suck at starting IV's which makes no sense seeing as how that's all they do is start IV's, but in their defense its damn near impossible to start a 16G with out any pain.... And I consider myself an excellent stick. I can stick a new baby like no bodies business and usually get it first try. But then again, I start 95% of my IV's going down the road in a bumpy ass ambulance or in a helicopter so you have to get real good, real fast or you'll never be able to treat patients with meds.
If there's no thing I absolutely can not stand, its other paramedics or emts that sit on scene for 5-10 mins just to get a damn IV. There's a reason people call 911 and its for damn sure not to sit in someone's living room and/or driveway trying to get a like.
Ok, I'm done with my rant.
As a side note, you guys think a 16G is big? You should see how big a 14G catheter is. It's literally bigger than the lead in a number 2 pencil. You have to have fantastic veins to be able to accept a 14G cath and God forbid you miss with a 14G needle, bc patients will bleed like a stuffed pig when you pull that huge bitch out.