IV therapy: recognizing the differences between infiltration and extravasation

Abstract

Infiltration and extravasation are complications that can occur during intravenous therapy administered via either peripheral or central venous access devices. Both can result in problems with the siting of future venous access devices, nerve damage, infection and tissue necrosis. The nurse is the key to reducing the risk of infiltration and extravasation, through her knowledge and skill in cannulation and the intravenous administration of drugs (by bolus injection or infusion). The nurse must also be able to recognize the early signs and symptoms of infiltration and extravasation and act promptly and effectively to limit tissue damage. The first sign of possible leakage of drugs into the tissues is pain and discomfort, so patients must be informed of what symptoms to look out for and be asked to report any change in sensation as soon as they are aware of it. Finally, accurate documentation of the event is vital to facilitate patient care and in case of litigation.

Dermatological Toxicity in Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment

“…It was observed that, in spite of the protocol defined by the institution, the registrations vary regarding application with the occurrence of extravasation of the same drug, as shown below. an extravasation occurs or is suspected, the infusion is stopped and the affected area should be inspected and the treatment given with the correct antidote to the drug (3)(4)6) .…”

“…Preventive measures are strongly advocated in the the nurse (4,(7)(8) . However, in this study it was not possible to identify preventive measures established by the nursing team in their records, except for the complaints of women during infusion.…”

“…This is a term used to describe the unintentional administration of vesicant solution or medication into areas outside of the venous system (3)(4) . The incidence of extravasation of vesicant drugs, published in the scientific literature, is 0.01 to 6.5%, but there is a possibility of underreporting of cases (1,3) .…”

“…The incidence of extravasation of vesicant drugs, published in the scientific literature, is 0.01 to 6.5%, but there is a possibility of underreporting of cases (1,3) . Morbidity is related to the amount of drug extravasated, its concentration, the location of extravasation, the type of device used in venous access, the conditions of health of the patient and the interval between the occurrence of the event and its recognition and treatment (3)(4) .…”

Conhecimento da equipe de enfermagem acerca da prevenção e manejo de extravasamento de drogas quimioterápicas

“…1 One of these events is extravasation, caused by the unintentional administration of the chemotherapeutic agent or vesicant solution in the perivascular space or in the subcutaneous tissue, being denominated local dermatological toxicity. 2 As the intravenous route is one of the main routes of administration of the chemotherapeutic agents, extravasation is one of the adverse events that of high incidence. This varies from 0.1 to 6%, however, establishing it, accurately, is difficult, due to underreporting of the occurrence by health professionals.…”