Crush resistant needle packaging assembly having rapid needle access

A protective needle packaging assembly comprising:

• a hypodermic chest decompression needle;
• a flexible wrapper enclosing said needle in a sterile package;
• an extended tab carried at a distal end of said flexible wrapper for providing a gripping area to open said wrapper and retrieve said needle;
• a generally inflexible protective tube constructed of a clear and transparent plastic material and having an open first distal end and an open second distal end, wherein said flexible wrapper is carried in said protective tube to resist deformation of said chest decompression needle;
• said extended tab being folded over said open first distal end to extend from an interior side of said protective tube to an exterior side of said tube so that said extended tab is arranged to extend along a portion of said exterior side of said tube;
• a first end cap carried by said open first distal end, wherein said extended tab is disposed between said first end cap and said exterior side of said tube so that said extended tab is secured to said first end cap in a friction fit arrangement;
• a second end cap carried by said open second distal end to enclose said protective tube together with said first end cap;
• and,
• a release slit included in at least one of said first end cap and said second end cap carried adjacent said exterior side of said tube to resist vacuum lock between said end caps and said tube;
• whereby removal of said first end cap causes said extended tab to be withdrawn with said first end cap so that said wrapper is simultaneously withdrawn from said protective tube in a single opening motion to allow for quick access to said needle.