Intravenous (IV) therapy is administering fluids directly into a vein. It benefits treatment by enabling water, medication, blood, or nutrients to access the body faster through the circulatory system.
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IV Therapy
Healthcare professionals can use an IV to deliver medication, vitamins, blood, or other fluids to those who need them.
Doctors can provide IV therapy through an IV line directly into a vein. This bypasses the gastric system so the body can take on more fluids quickly.
During the procedure, a healthcare professional will insert a cannula into a person’s vein, usually in the crook of their arm. They can then attach a tube with an IV bag containing fluids, which then drip down the tube directly into the vein.
The fluids or nutrition in IV therapies are specific to each person requiring the treatment.
IV therapy can treat:
- severe dehydration by administering fluids
- health conditions by administering medication
- pain by administering pain relief
- malnutrition or inability to take food by administering nutrients
Doctors use the technique as a fast-acting way to feed essential fluids into the body’s system.
IV vitamin therapy
IV vitamin therapy can administer a high concentration of minerals and vitamins directly into the bloodstream rather than through the stomach.
A mix known as the Myers’ cocktail Trusted Source includes high doses of vitamins B and C, calcium, and magnesium. A medical professional dilutes the vitamins with sterile water.
They then put the fluid into an IV bag with a tube attached to the cannula.
Other types of IV vitamin therapies include:
- IV magnesium sulfate for acute asthma: A 2018 studyTrusted Source found this treatment to be more beneficial than using a nebulizer, a device for inhalation medications through a face mask or mouthpiece, for children with acute asthma.
- IV selenium for acute respiratory distress syndrome: This can provideTrusted Source help for critically ill people who need mechanical ventilation.
- IV vitamin C for cancer: Healthcare professionals mayTrusted Source administer high doses of vitamin C to those living with cancer. However, researchers have not proven this treatment effective with studies.
Side effects
Although IV therapy is generally safe and effective, it can cause side effects. These may include:
- damage to blood vessels
- bleeding from the site of insertion
- swelling in the area
- inflammation of the veins if the IV is present for a long time
- bruising at the site of insertion
Risks and complications
Complications of IV therapy may include:
- allergic reaction to the adhesive tape that secures the IV in place
- hematoma, or swelling from clotted blood under the skin
- the formation of a blood clot
- cellulitis, or swelling in deep layers of the skin
- skin necrosis, or premature death of skin cells
- the development of an abscess
More extreme types of complications after IV therapy usually occur after 3 or more days of having IV insertion.
The risks of complications rise if a person has not completed full IV insertion training or if this is not a procedure they carry out regularly. For this reason, a medical setting with trained professionals is the best place to receive IV therapy.