People who suffer from severe or chronic diseases sometimes find it difficult to take medicines orally. Also, certain medications cannot be taken orally because the patient’s stomach acids may interfere with the drug’s efficacy. In such cases, doctors use infusion therapy to treat patients. It is an alternative to oral therapy for patients who become unable to take or swallow medications orally.
What is Infusion Therapy?
Infusion therapy, also known as IV or intravenous therapy, is a treatment for patients to receive medications, fluids, and nutrition through a needle or catheter. While using IV therapy, doctors insert a sterile catheter or needle directly into the vein of the patients.
Traditionally, this treatment has been used only in hospitals. Today, IV infusion therapy can be used at home with the help of well-trained healthcare professionals. Medilife Healthcare Group, a globally recognized organization, promotes IV therapy at home for patients in Dubai. IV therapy or intravenous infusion is the most common type.
Some other types of infusion therapy include:
• Epidural: A treatment for alleviating pain after surgery. It is a quick way to receive pain medication exactly where the patients need it.
• Intramuscular: It is an effective treatment for delivering medications and vaccines. Intramuscular injections are used to insert medications into the patients’ muscles.
• Subcutaneous: A type of injection for injecting drugs into the patients’ tissue layer between their muscle and skin.
When is Infusion Therapy Used?
Healthcare professionals use IV infusion treatment to deliver nutrition, intravenous fluids, and the following medication types:
- Antiemetics
- Antibiotics
- Antivirals
- Antifungals
- Chemotherapy
- Blood factors
- Growth hormones
- Biologics
- inotropic heart medications and more
Medical Conditions Infusion Therapy Treats
Different types of IV fluids, nutrition, and medications have been used to treat a wide range of medical conditions. Cancer is the most common type of disease where IV therapy is used.
We all know how common chemotherapy treatment is for cancer. Now, doctors usually use oral chemotherapy for cancer patients. However, some cancer patients may also need to receive chemotherapy medications through IV. In this case, healthcare professionals inject chemotherapy drugs into the spine of another part of the patient.
Apart from cancer, IV infusion therapy has other uses.
Physicians may recommend this treatment for the following health conditions:
- Dehydration
- Immune deficiencies
- Cognitive heart failure
- Autoimmune disorders
- Severe and chronic pain
- Infections etc.
- IV Therapy Works Well Also for These Conditions:
- Lupus
- Crohn’s disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriasis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Ulcerative colitis
It Is also a Good Option for the Following Conditions:
- Insulin for type 1 diabetes
- Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis
- Blood clotting for hemophilia
- Medications for migraine
- Plasma with proper platelet count for osteoarthritis
- Infections like pneumonia, sepsis, and more
Life-Threatening Health Conditions and IV Therapy
IV therapy also works effectively for treating patients with certain life-threatening conditions like heart attack, anaphylactic shock, stroke, and poisoning. Here, patients need quick treatment. Infusion therapy is a quick way to deliver IV fluid and medication to the bloodstream.
Side Effects and Risk factors
Is IV therapy risky to use? Well, whether it involves risks or comes with side effects depends on the medicines the patients receive. The treatment process is effective for patients who require controlled dosing.
While using this treatment at home, it is important to seek help from experienced healthcare professionals. Also, make sure that your healthcare professional uses the right medical equipment like a sterile catheter or needle, IV bag, etc.
Before using this treatment, the best thing you can do is to talk to your doctor and let him or her know all your medical conditions. Also, don’t forget to tell your doctor about the medications you take regularly. All these help him, or her to decide the right treatment for you, as per your health condition. Certain medications have their own set of side effects. Therefore, your physician must know your medical history. Infusion specialists and medical service providers in Medilife Healthcare Group can help patients make the right decision.
Read more: IV Therapy 2022: IV Fluid (intravenous) therapy for Children
Consult Your Doctor Immediately If You Have the Following Signs:
- Muscle or joint pain
- Itching
- Cough
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Fever
- Swelling
- Nausea
- Facial flushing and so on
What to Expect from Infusion Therapy?
From the infusion treatment, you can expect a couple of factors. This treatment usually takes an hour. However, the time can be variable, and it depends on several factors. Medication or fluid type and health condition are two major factors among them. Some medicines take a long time for infusion, while others take just a few minutes.
Dosage also determines how long the treatment takes. Patients who are diagnosed with certain conditions need to receive medications slowly. In such cases, it could take a longer time.
Read more: Do IV Hydration Therapy & IV Vitamin Therapy Work?
Every IV session requires a new needle. Patients who need several IV therapy sessions may need alternatives to a conventional IV line. In such cases, physicians may recommend central lines to treat patients. They can be inserted into the patient’s neck, arm, or chest to treat them.
Apart from the mentioned, there are several other alternatives doctors may recommend. Using port is also an alternative option for patients. In this case, a port is implanted under the patient’s skin. Once the treatment is done, the physician will remove the port by using a surgical process.
Infusion Therapy at Home – What You Should Know?
IV infusion therapy is typically done in clinical settings, including medical clinics, hospitals, infusion centers, etc. The good news is today; it can also be used at home. Modern medical technologies have made it possible for healthcare professionals to use this treatment at the patients’ houses. IV therapy can be used safely under the supervision of nurses or experienced medical professionals.
Read more: 9 Reasons you might need an IV therapy at home in Dubai
Preparing for Intravenous Therapy
Before beginning the process, the healthcare professional or nurse may ask you questions about your identity, your medical history, medical routine, and so on. Once the right process is decided for you, he or she will insert it into the right vein or port. An IV bag that holds necessary medications or fluids will be connected through a tube. The medications, fluids, or nutrition will be delivered into your bloodstream. Now, you may require a single IV bag or multiple bags. It depends on your treatment how many bags you need.
Whether it is about treating life-threatening health conditions or rehydration, intravenous infusion treatment can be effective for patients. Before making any decision, talk to a reliable healthcare professional in Medilife Healthcare Group. Discuss risk factors and side effects of this therapy to ensure safety.
To know more details about the available IV therapy at Medilife Click Here
