Benefits of Huber Needles for Port Access

How They Are Used for Chemotherapy

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A Huber needle is a special type of needle used in ports to administer medications like chemotherapy into a port. It is a long, curved needle that is designed to make treatment easier on you and safer for your healthcare team.

Learn how to prevent the sting of a needle stick, know the size of needle you need, and why the Huber needle is safer for you and your nurse.

Huber Needle for Chemotherapy Infusions
Art © Pam Stephan

How a Huber Needle Works

A Huber needle is a specially designed hollow needle used with a chemotherapy port (port-a-cath). The needle has a long, beveled tip that can go through your skin as well as the silicone septum of your implanted port's reservoir.

The beveled tip of a Huber needle will not remove a core of silicone from your port—this prevents a chunk of silicone or skin from lodging in your catheter line (an all-too-common complication) and makes your port last longer.

Most infusion nurses will secure a Huber needle and catheter set in place with tape or an occlusive bandage.

Huber Needle Tip Detail
Art @ Pam Stephan

Benefits

Huber needles are designed to be more comfortable for the patient and safer for both the patient and the healthcare team. They are used in a variety of healthcare settings, including dialysis, lap-band adjustments, blood transfusions, and intravenous cancer treatments.

Huber needles can be used during an infusion appointment to give:

Some Huber needles come with a cushioned needle base. If needed, Huber needles may be left in place for a few hours or over several days.

Portacaths For Chemotherapy
Art © Pam Stephan

Types of Huber Needles

Huber needles come in several lengths and gauges. Infusion needles should be sized to match the type of implanted port that you have. Huber needles that are used for infusion ports come in lengths from 0.5 inches up to 1.5 inches. These needles are usually color-coded and come in different diameters ranging from a 21 gauge needle to a 25 gauge needle.

You should know the size of needle that works with your port. If your nurse uses a Huber needle that is too short, it won't work well for your blood draw or your infusion. If a Huber is too short, it may feel painful and tight. Likewise, a Huber needle that is too long for your port might wobble or spin around, causing damage to the silicone seal.

Keep a note of the length and gauge of the Huber needle made for your port in your health notebook. This will be helpful if you visit a different clinic or see a different healthcare provider. It's a good idea to ask about the needle sizing each time your port is accessed.

Managing Pain

The strong, tapered point of a Huber will be less painful than a non-tapered needle and will penetrate through skin and silicone cleanly. This type of needle does not remove a core of skin or silicone, so your port will reseal itself, and your skin will heal neatly when the needle is withdrawn.

Since lidocaine gel, creams, or patches can take 30 minutes or so to be fully effective, your clinic may have you apply a patch, cream, or gel 30 minutes to 60 minutes before your appointment so that your infusion can be started promptly when you arrive.

If you want to prevent the pain of a needle stick, use some "scream cream”—a term nurses often use for Lidocaine gel or Emla cream. After some time, the skin will lose sensitivity, and the needle stick will become less painful.

Needle Safety

Intravenous chemotherapy is given through a needle and catheter, which must be removed at the end of treatment. The needle is in contact with your chemotherapy drugs and your blood supply. In order to prevent infections and accidental needle sticks, there are safety devices designed for use with these needles. The plastic wings and needle guards on your Huber needle protect you and your nurse from injury and infection.

After use, the needles will be safely disposed of, along with medical waste. You will have a bandage over your needle puncture after treatment—be sure to keep it on 15-30 minutes after your infusion to keep the area clean and prevent leaks.

Knowing your needle and how to care for yourself during and after chemotherapy is one way in which you can be your own advocate in your cancer care.

Using a standard needle instead of a specialized needle such as a Huber needle can reduce the effectiveness of the device, and may expose you to complications.

Summary

Huber needles are specially designed to be used in port-a-cath devices and are less painful than other needles. They don't remove a core of material from the silicone of the catheter, which decreases complications and can make the catheter last longer.

The other benefit of Huber needles is safety for your healthcare team. Wings and needle guards protect you and your healthcare providers from the drugs or blood the needle comes in contact with from injuring either of you.

2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Goossens GA. Flushing and locking of venous catheters: available evidence and evidence deficit. Nurs Res Pract. 2015;2015:985686. doi:10.1155/2015/985686

  2. Moir D, Bodenham A. A narrative review of long-term central venous access devices for the intensivist. Journal of the Intensive Care Society. 2018;19(3):236-246. doi:10.1177/1751143717741249

By Lynne Eldridge, MD
 Lynne Eldrige, MD, is a lung cancer physician, patient advocate, and award-winning author of "Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time."