Intravenous Therapy

Intravenous Therapy

Intravenous therapy, abbreviated as IV therapy, involves the direct infusion of liquid substances into a vein. The term "intravenous" literally means "within a vein." Treatments administered intravenously are often categorized as specialty pharmaceuticals.

This method is colloquially referred to as a drip due to the utilization of a drip chamber in many administration systems. The drip chamber serves to prevent air from entering the bloodstream (air embolism) and allows for the estimation of the flow rate.

IV therapy serves various purposes, including correcting electrolyte imbalances, delivering medications, conducting blood transfusions, or providing fluid replacement to address issues such as dehydration. Additionally, IV therapy is commonly used for administering chemotherapy, the treatment for various types of cancer.

Compared to other administration routes, such as oral or topical, intravenous delivery is the fastest method for distributing fluids and medications throughout the body.

Substances that can be infused intravenously encompass a wide range of options, including volume expanders, blood products, blood substitutes, medications, and nutrition. Medications can be mixed into the intravenous fluids mentioned above. Some medications can only be administered intravenously when uptake through other routes, such as oral ingestion, is inadequate. Examples include intravenous immunoglobulin and propofol.

Parenteral nutrition involves feeding an individual intravenously, bypassing the typical process of eating and digestion. This method delivers nutritional formulas containing salts, glucose, amino acids, lipids, and additional vitamins directly into the bloodstream.

Finally, the intravenous route is also utilized for drug injection, particularly for recreational substances.