Prevention and Management of Extravasation in Infusion Therapy

Infusion or intravenous therapy is a procedure that involves inserting a needle into the body to administer medications or fluids through intravenous route. This nursing care is prescribed by the physician, and is used to administer antibiotics for infection, chemotherapeutic agents during chemotherapy, intravenous fluids for hypovolemic shock, and minerals for electrolyte imbalance. The most severe complication of infusion therapy is extravasation, which results from the leakage of medication or fluid in the vein causing tissue injury. This complication may lead to infection of the site and bloodstream, thus increasing the length of hospitalization and medical costs. Therefore, nurses should be knowledgeable of how to prevent, monitor, assess and manage of extravasations. The objective of this arti cle is to provide information about the incidence, risk and complication management, and prevention of extravasation.