IV Drug Infusion Therapy FAQs

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Medical Author: Maureen Welker, MSN, NPc, CCRN
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction
• What are some of the conditions that are treated with an IV drug infusion?
• How do I prepare for the infusion?
• What are some things I can do to pass the time while receiving therapy?
• What happens during and after the infusion?

Introduction

You have been informed by your healthcare provider that you will need to receive intravenous (IV) infusions of a medication to treat your health condition.

What are some of the conditions that are treated with an IV drug infusion?

Examples of conditions treated with IV infusion include:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
  
  
• Behcet's disease
  
  
• Cancer
  
  
• Common variable immunodeficiency
  
  
• Crohn's disease
  
  
• Dermatomyositis
  
  
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
  
  
• Iritis
  
  
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
  
  
• Multiple sclerosis
  
  
• Osteoporosis
  
  
• Pemphigus
  
  
• Psoriasis
  
  
• Psoriatic arthritis
  
  
• Rheumatoid arthritis
  
  
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  
  
• Ulcerative colitis
  
  
• Wegener's granulomatosis

How do I prepare for the infusion?

Below are a few helpful suggestions to help you create a pleasant and healing experience.

• The first and most important step is to replace "confusion" with confidence.
  
  
• Make a list of questions that pertain to your health condition or questions about your medication and infusion to review with your healthcare practitioner. It may be necessary to make an appointment to review all of your questions.
  
  
• Learn about the infused medication. There are many places to obtain information about your medication. Discuss the medication(s) with your doctor. Pharmaceutical companies often provide information in the offices and on the Internet for patients and their families. There may also be medical books written about your medication or health condition.
  
  
• Visit the Infusion Center and meet the medical staff before your first infusion.

Check with your healthcare practitioner or the staff at the infusion center for any pre-infusion instructions. Some examples may include:

• Drink plenty of water to be sure you are well hydrated. If you have a heart condition, kidney condition or any other health condition that prevents you from drinking large amounts of fluid, check with your healthcare practitioner for instructions on how to hydrate before your infusion procedure.
  
  
• Some infusions may require that you pre-medicate with medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol). Check with the infusion staff regarding any pre-medications you need to take prior to your infusion, the dose, and the best time to take the medications.
  
  
• Wear comfortable loose fitting clothes. You will want to be comfortable, and most likely your vital signs will monitored (for example, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate (breathing rate), or a cardiac monitor may be attached to your chest). Every infusion center is different, so check with yours in regard to what to expect. Wearing loose fitting clothes allows the medical staff to easily and properly monitor your vital signs.
  
  
• Consider wearing clothing with layers to allow for temperature control. The temperature of the infusion center may be cool or warm; also some intravenous infusions can make you feel either warm or cool. Having layers of clothing allows you the flexibility to easily control your comfort zone.
  
  
• Most infusion centers will provide blankets, pillows, water and coffee. Check to see what the center provides in case they do not offer something that will make you more comfortable.
  
  
• Do not wear any fragrance or perfume, other patients may be allergic .
  
  
• Bring a complete list of current medications, allergies, and emergency contact information for the infusion staff to add to your chart.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• infliximab, Remicade - Depicts the medication infliximab (Remicade), a drug used for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis - Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation, which has symptoms that include stiffness, fever, muscle and joint aches, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis incorporates the use of first-line drugs (aspirin and corticosteroids for pain and inflammation) and second-line drugs (methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine to prevent joint destruction and promote remission).
• cyclophosphamide, Cytoxan - Explains the medication cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), a drug used for the treatment of several types of cancers and often in combination with other drugs to treat breast cancer, leukemia and ovarian cancer.

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