Infiltration is a patient safety risk that occurs when nonirritating intravenous fluid enters extravascular tissue, and extravasation is the leakage of irritating fluids in tissues around the IV. If these reactions are not quickly remedied, patients risk complex regional pain syndrome or surgical intervention resulting in scars, limited function or potential amputation, according to research.
Andrew Barton, chair of the National Infusion and Vascular Access Society, told the outlet a general misconception about extravasation is that it is exclusive to oncology. But it can happen with other IV treatments, he said.
“Some of the most common drugs we give our patients, like antibiotics, can cause as serious of an injury as chemotherapy,” Mr. Barton said.
He recommends hospitals have an extravasation lead to promote awareness and prevention efforts and to use standardized reporting of these events. Access the society’s infiltration and extravasation toolkit here.
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