What is infusion therapy, and when is it required?
There are many people whose bodies don’t respond rightly to oral medication because of medical conditions. If you are one of them, don’t worry. You can get medicines through infusion therapy. Through infusion therapy, medication becomes more effective because it is delivered through the bloodstream via a needle.
In infusion therapy, health professionals transmit medication with the help of a needle. It directly goes to the affected area and provides immediate results. When you take oral medication, it takes some time to digest in the stomach and show results. But with the help of infusion therapy, you can get effective results immediately. To comprehensively know what infusion therapy is and when it is required, read this blog till the end.
What is Infusion Therapy?
Infusion Therapy is a medical treatment that provides medication to the patient with the help of a needle to connect with the bloodstream. This treatment is safe and convenient for people who can’t take medicines through their mouths. It is one of the great alternatives for oral medication that is mainly used in hospitals and infusion centers.
Types of Infusion Therapy
Below are the common types of infusion therapy that are primarily used in infusion therapies.
Intravenous Infusion Therapy
This is the most common therapy. These medications are administered directly into the bloodstream via a needle or catheter. In hospitals, doctors use it to provide treatment to the patient for their rapid recovery.
Subcutaneous Infusion Therapy
Infusion therapy of this type administers the medications just a little bit beneath the skin. It is mainly used when the patient needs to hydrate their body.
Epidural Infusion Therapy
Here, drugs are administered into the spinal cord. Epidurals are mainly used to manage pain and to provide anesthesia.
Types of Medication Delivered through Infusion Therapy
Infusion therapy is used to deliver different kinds of nutrition, fluids, and vitamins. However, medications are the ones that are most used in this therapy. Below are the medications that are delivered through infusion therapy.
- Antifungal
- Antibiotics
- Antiemetics
- Antivirals
- Anti-allergic
- Blood factors
- Chemotherapy
- Growth hormones
- Immunoglobulin replacement
- Inotropic heart medications
- Corticosteroids
When is Infusion Therapy Required?
Treating severe or chronic infections that do not improve under oral antibiotic therapy mainly uses infusion therapy. Typical cases are cancers and the pain caused by them, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dehydration due to nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea treatment, etc. The entire list is long enough and includes such serious illnesses which include:
- Autoimmune disorders
- Congestive heart failure
- Dehydration
- Immune deficiencies
- Oral antibiotic-resistant infections
- Excessive Pain
However, it can deliver powerful medications for conditions such as:
- Crohn’s disease
- ulcerative colitis
- Psoriasis
- psoriatic arthritis
- rheumatoid arthritis
If you are suffering from any of these medical conditions, HealthQuest is here to provide you with infusion therapy to get a complete cure from it.
Benefits of Infusion Therapy
Below are the benefits of infusion therapy you must know before getting it from the health professional.
- Speed: Medical caregivers are able to assist their patients in recovering faster by inserting medications, nutrients, and fluids directly into the vein. This could be very effective if the person is in dire need of fluids or electrolytes, so say during acute dehydration.
- Efficiency: IV therapy does not require the fluids to travel through the gastric system so that they are eaten up in digestive organs but can be directly entered into body circulation, where they receive immediate absorption. This helps to administer treatment faster, directly on the target organs, and its after-effects.
- Convenience: If a physician turns on the cannula, they may leave it there for many days. This is because they would be able to regularly treat without having to insert a needle repeatedly just to administer more fluids. This means you can get the treatment for days without inserting the needle often.
The Bottom Line
Infusion therapy is a popular treatment that has made life easier for many patients. If your doctor has recommended this treatment, getting it from highly qualified staff is essential to avoid any risks. To book an appointment at one of the finest infusion centers, call us at (832) 612 3500.