In delivering modified FOLFOX or FOLFIRI treatment, Huber-pointed safety needles are commonly used to protect the patients from needle stick injury during withdrawal. But we noticed longer durations of levofolinate with oxaliplatin or irinotecan delivery when Huber-pointed safety needles were used in our hospital. Thus, we evaluated the differences in flow rate with respect to three variables: use of safety needles versus ordinary needles, the length of additional tube used and the gauge of needle. We found that the length of additional tube and gauge of needle affected the flow rate while the use of safety needles did not. Flow rates of 8.33 ± 0.12 mL/min and 11.90 ± 0.16 mL/min were obtained with the use of additional tubes of 450 mm and 100 mm respectively. The duration of chemotherapy was significantly shortened when the length of additional tube was changed from 450 mm to 100 mm in 9 patients with long chemotherapy duration (before 134.5 ± 13.8 min, after 123.33 ± 11.2 min, P = 0.03). The choices of chemotherapy delivery materials also seem to play an important role in safe and effective chemotherapy.
