intravenous infusion
Meaning of intravenous infusion: An intravenous infusion delivers fluids, medications, or nutrients directly into a vein over a controlled period rather than all at once.
Definition of intravenous infusion
An intravenous infusion is a method of delivering fluids, medications, blood products, or nutrients directly into a vein, typically through a thin catheter placed in the arm or hand, or through a more central line placed in a larger vein for longer term use. Unlike a single injection, an infusion delivers its contents gradually over a set period, controlled by gravity or an electronic pump.
Intravenous infusion is used for a wide range of purposes, including correcting dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, delivering antibiotics or chemotherapy, providing nutrition when a person cannot eat normally, and administering blood transfusions. The rate of infusion is adjusted according to what is being given and how quickly it needs to reach the bloodstream.
Because an intravenous infusion bypasses the digestive system entirely, it allows precise, rapid control over how much of a substance enters the bloodstream compared with oral administration.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
An intravenous infusion of antibiotics was started to treat the patient's bloodstream infection.
Good to know
An intravenous infusion differs from a single intravenous injection in that it delivers its contents gradually over a controlled period rather than all at once, a distinction that affects both safety and intended use.
Word origin
Where “intravenous infusion” comes from
Intra- derives from Latin, meaning within; venous derives from Latin vena, meaning vein; infusion derives from Latin infundere, meaning to pour in.