What is the Difference Between IV Injection and IV Infusion?

IV treatment is a widely used treatment method that has numerous benefits. The term stands for intravenous, where ‘intro means within and ‘venous’ means through the veins. Hence, IV therapy refers to a medical treatment where the fluids, nutrients, and medications are administered through the veins of a patient.

IV treatment is one of the fastest ways to provide relief to ailing patients. It bypasses the digestive system of a patient and delivers medication or nutrients to the bloodstream of the patient directly.

Hence, IV therapy can help in emergency situations. It is also suitable for patients where the digestive system is not working properly. Apart from disease treatment, IV therapy can also be used for hydration and beauty benefits.

IV injections and IV infusions are two types of IV treatment. Both the treatments are extremely popular. However, there are many differences between the two.

Let us learn more about IV injection and IV infusion to understand the differences between the two treatment methods.

IV injection VS IV infusion

1. Process

IV injections help in injecting medication or fluid directly into the bloodstream of a patient. The health care provider uses a sterile needle and syringe to deliver the required doses into the patients’ veins. The needles are one-time-use needles and are discarded immediately after the treatment to avoid infection.

IV infusion also uses a needle to deliver fluids, nutrients, hydration, or medication into a person’s bloodstream. The sterile needle is used to guide a catheter into the person’s veins. The needle is removed while the plastic catheter remains.

An IV bag contains the required fluid and is suspended from a rod. the drip uses gravity to deliver the fluid. However, in some cases, the quantity of required fluid is administered through a regulator.

2. Duration

Another difference between the two methods is the duration of the treatment. IV injection takes only a few minutes. A trained professional guides the needle into your vein while you relax in a chair. Hence, you do not require much time for IV injection therapy.

IV infusion requires more time than IV injections. The IV infusion can take half an hour or even more than that depending on the purpose of treatment and amount of fluid or medication. You need to lie down in a hospital bed and in some cases, it may even require an overnight stay in the hospital.

3. Continuous monitoring

An IV injection needs to be administered continuously by a health care professional as the process only lasts for a few minutes. However, an IV infusion can be continuous or with intervals.

Hence, it may not require continuous monitoring by a health care professional. The professional may not even be present during the entire process. The regulator helps in modifying the quantity of fluids and medication in each time interval.

4. Uses

Before you look for IV injection or IV Infusion Near Me, it is essential to understand the various uses of the treatment. Both IV injection and IV infusion help in delivering useful medication quickly. However, Intravenous injections are much quicker than IV infusions. They only take a few minutes and can deliver the medication much faster.

However, in some cases, the patients need to be rehydrated. In such a case an IV infusion can help in delivering the required hydration into the body. Also, if the patient requires multiple injections for treatment of a chronic condition, an Infusion can be helpful. Both IV treatments can be used for patients where the oral medication is ineffective or impractical.

These are some of the differences between IV infusion and IV injection. Before you start searching for “IV infusion near me” you should assess your requirement and choose a service accordingly.