Why You Should Consider IV Therapy as Part of Your Health and Wellness Routine

Intravenous (IV) therapy is the most common invasive procedure in healthcare, with over 1 billion intravenous lines placed annually worldwide. An IV can deliver fluids, electrolytes, medications, and nutrients directly to a patient’s bloodstream, depending on their needs.

Doctors provide IV therapy directly into a vein to bypass the gastrointestinal system. That allows the body to absorb the contents more quickly.

A healthcare professional first inserts a cannula (thin tube) with a needle on the end into a person’s vein, usually in the crook of their arm or their forearm. They then attach a tube with an IV bag containing fluids and any other nutrients required, which drip down the tube directly into the vein.

The contents in IV therapies are specific to each person requiring treatment.

At Rapid Response Urgent Care in Granada Hills, California, our team offers IV therapy to our patients who need rapid fluid, electrolyte, or nutrient replenishment. If you’re feeling generally under the weather or dehydrated, an IV infusion may be right for you.

The IV procedure

To get your IV going, we follow the steps below:

Before the procedure, a nurse or tech chooses a vein where they’ll insert the cannula. The most common areas are in the forearm, wrist, back of the hand, and top of the foot. If a suitable vein is difficult to find, they may use ultrasound to guide the needle.

Once they’ve found a vein, they sanitize the area with an alcohol wipe before inserting a fine needle attached to the cannula. Once inserted, they use paper tape to hold the cannula in place.

Next, they connect the tubing to the IV and hang the bag with fluids on a pole, above heart level, and start the drip.

During the infusion, they regularly check the cannula to ensure the IV is flowing properly and you have no pain or swelling in the area. Once the infusion is complete, they disconnect the cannula from the tubing and remove it from the vein.

Finally, they apply pressure over the insertion wound to slow any bleeding and dress the area with a cotton bud and adhesive tape.

For procedures that require a regular IV, they leave the cannula in place. Then, all that’s required is to switch out the fluid bags.

The uses of vitamin therapy

In our high-stress, fast food society, it’s easy to not get enough of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs.

IV therapy using a mix known as the Myers’ cocktail is one of the most common vitamin and mineral replenishment sources. It includes high doses of vitamins B and C, calcium, and magnesium diluted with sterile water.

Other types of IV vitamin therapies include:

• IV magnesium sulfate for acute asthma: A 2018 study found this IV therapy to be more beneficial than using a nebulizer (inhaler) for children with acute asthma.
• IV selenium for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): This provides support for critically ill people who need mechanical ventilation.
• IV vitamin C for cancer: Doctors may prescribe high doses of vitamin C for those living with cancer. It should be noted that there’s little-to-no evidence-based research to support the efficacy of this treatment.

IV therapy is offered in urgent care, infusion centers, and hospital settings. A 2020 study concluded there was insufficient evidence to recommend multivitamin IV therapy outside of such settings.

Benefits of IV therapy

The benefits of IV therapy in a healthcare setting include:

Speed

When we introduce medications, nutrients, and fluids directly into a patient’s vein, we can help that patient recover quickly. This is particularly important if the person is severely dehydrated. Rapid fluid and electrolyte infusion can rehydrate them in a short time.

Efficiency

IV therapy bypasses the gastrointestinal system, so the body can absorb more fluids and nutrients more quickly and without first being broken down by the GI tract.

Convenience

Once the nurse or tech inserts a cannula in your arm, it can stay there for the duration of your stay at urgent care, or for multiple days in a hospital setting. This allows them to provide regular treatment without repeatedly poking you.

If you’re dehydrated or feel depleted, our team at Rapid Response Urgent Care can help with IV therapy. Walk in, call us at 818-923-5216, or book an appointment online today.