What is the size of a catheter that is blue in color?

In color-coded catheter systems, the blue color typically corresponds to a 22 gauge catheter. This standardization allows healthcare providers to quickly identify catheter sizes by color, enhancing efficiency in clinical settings. A 22 gauge catheter is well-suited for many intravenous (IV) therapies, as it strikes a balance between flow rate and vessel damage risk.

Other sizes, represented by different colors, would have distinctly different gauge numbers and would not align with the blue color coding. For example, a 20 gauge catheter is usually green, a 24 gauge is typically yellow, and a 16 gauge is orange. Understanding this color coding assists emergency medical personnel in selecting the appropriate catheter size quickly.