Description
When a specific medication or fluid is administered to the patient through the needle or catheter attached to an infusion set, it is called infusion therapy.
Infusion therapy is resorted to when the patient cannot take the medication(s) orally. Or when the entry of the drug(s) into the patient’s circulatory system needs to be controlled at a particular rate or pace.
More often than not, infusion therapy is administered by IV set through the patient’s vein, called the intravenous (IV) route. However, it can also be administered through the muscle, epidural space, or under the skin.
Uses and applications
Infusing drugs
Some patients cannot take drugs orally. In addition, some medications cannot be taken orally, lest they will be destroyed in the gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, some diseases are more responsive and readily treated if their medications are passed and coursed through infusion therapy. Hence, these drug(s) will be introduced into the patient’s circulatory system through their veins. Most of the time, this application is very much used among patients who have been receiving chemotherapy. In addition, infusion therapy is also used for patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and pain management.
Controlling the entry of drugs
There are drugs or medications whose entry into the circulatory system of the patient needs to be controlled. That is, the said drugs will have to be infused at a specific flow rate. For example, in cases of chemotherapy, the flow rate of IV fluid bringing in this drug needs to be slow. In contrast, to manage anaphylactic shock, heart attack, poisoning, and stroke, infusion of the required drug(s) will have to be faster. To effectively do all of these, infusion therapy has to be resorted to.
Providing nutritional support
Some patients cannot take foods orally. These will be coursed through the infusion set to provide the needed nutrients, such as amino acids and vitamins. The process of providing nutrition to the patient through IT is popularly known as total parenteral nutrition.
Hydrating
When patients experience loose bowel movements, they will lose much fluid from their bodies. Initially, they become weak and without bodily strength. However, if they continue to lose fluids, their blood pressures go down, and they may die from the so-called hypovolemic shock. If this happens, the lost fluid needs to be replaced as fast as possible. Thus, infusion therapy will be used.
Infusing blood stimulating factor
There are times when some components of the blood are lacking. They are lower than the average values. These need to be restored within normal levels; otherwise, the patients will not live normally. In situations like these, there is a need to infuse blood component stimulating factors, which will increase the number of the lacking elements.
Precautions
The following precautions need to be observed in setting up an infusion therapy:
· The site where the needle of the infusion set will be inserted must be free from any form of infection. This is all the more important if the insertion site will be used for a long time;
· The insertion site must be in good condition. The vein targeted for insertion must be visible, big enough, and with a relatively thick wall; in the insertion area, there must be no indications of tissue damage and lacerations which could adversely affect the administration of drugs and other medications;
· Take note of air bubbles that could be present in the veins. These bubbles could block the blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke;
· Take note also of blood clots which could cause blockages that could lead to heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism;
Quality of infusion therapy
Traditionally, the use of infusion therapy is limited to or confined to the hospital setting or premises. This was so because as the infusion therapy proceeds, it must be supervised by well-trained hospital staff or personnel who could immediately react if some problems occur.
However, in modern days, infusion therapy is now allowed to be carried out at homes if qualified nurses or medical professionals can supervise its administration. This is meant to reduce the patient’s expenses and provide the patient with enough time to be with the members of the family while being treated.
Whether the infusion therapy is done in the hospital, medical clinic, or at home, however, its quality must be maintained at a certain level because of the following reasons:
· In most cases, infusion therapy is used to prolong the lives of patients. Without it, the patient may die at any moment. To give the patient some more days to survive, medical staff will use infusion therapy. For this reason, the infusion therapy must be administered with acceptable quality because any mistake in its administration could be fatal to the patient;
· For cancer patients, if the infusion therapy is not administered correctly, it could lead to the remission of cancer;
· For patients in pain, if infusion therapy is not done correctly, the patient may experience breakthrough pain;
· For patients with lesser medical problems, poor administration of infusion therapy could still lead to severe infections and air bubbles.
Factors affecting the quality of infusion therapy
Competence of the medical staff
The training of the medical staff who will supervise and implement the infusion therapy counts a lot. If they are not well trained to do the infusion therapy, then many problems will occur. Hence, some sort of accreditation should be issued to this medical personnel before handling infusion therapy.
Availability of good quality infusion sets
Another determinant of having a successful practice of infusion therapy is the availability of good-quality infusion sets. As far as our company is concerned, we offer different infusion sets from where a good selection could be made. Therefore, we are not only offering a wide array of choices; we are offering good quality infusion sets. Click here to learn more about our factory and production workshop.
