Infusion therapy is the administration of medication or fluids through a needle or catheter, usually intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously, directly into the bloodstream. Infusion therapy is used when there is no comparable oral therapy or when you are unable to take oral medication. It is also used to treat serious or chronic infections that do not respond to oral antibiotics, cancers, pain caused by cancers, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dehydration caused by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and other serious diseases such as Crohns disease. Infusion therapy has a range of medical applications including sedation, anesthesia, post-operative analgesic pain management, chemotherapy, and treatment of infectious diseases. Infusion therapy is ideal for patients who, due to their chronic condition, find it difficult, uncomfortable, or impossible to take medication orally. It provides faster hydration for individuals who recently came out of surgery and have lost a significant amount of fluids. Infusion therapy is also a good option for people who have been unresponsive to oral medications.

Different types of infusions exist for a range of conditions. Antibiotic pills aren’t getting rid of an infection, you can’t take or swallow pills, you’re dehydrated, you need long-term antibiotics, the doctor wants to give you an intravenous (IV) antibiotic to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction, you’re chronically anemic, so need blood or iron from time to time. Sometimes, a drug just works best through infusion.

Infusion therapy is administered through a needle or catheter, usually intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously, directly into the bloodstream. The infusion is administered by injecting a needle attached to a small tube directly into one of the patient’s veins. This tube is connected to an IV bag containing the prescribed medication. Once attached to your vein, the solution slowly drips into your bloodstream.