IV Full Form

IV full form is intravenous therapy and it's a process of giving medicine through a needle or tube inserted into the vein. Intravenous generally refers to a drip which prevents the air from entering the stream of blood and allows an estimation of flow rate.

What is the Full Form of IV?

As mentioned above the full form of IV is Intravenous or also known as Intravenous therapy. During the therapy,  liquid medicine goes directly into a vein.The IV is referred to as a drip. Intravenous is considered the fastest way to deliver medicine and fluid because blood circulation helps in spreading it throughout the body. IV therapy is majorly used during dehydration, to deliver medicine fast, correcting electrolyte imbalances and blood transfusions. The needle is inserted directly into the veins present in arms, legs, hands & feet.

What is the Purpose of IV?

The main purpose behind giving IV, full form of which is Intravenous therapy, is to deliver fluids, nutrients or medicines directly into the body by injecting needle directly into the vein which helps in immediate supply of fluids in the body through blood flow.The IV is mainly given during dehydration, immediate need of medicine, normalizing level of nutrients, balancing level of electrolyte, immediate relief from pain.  

What is The History of IV?

The Discovery and first use of Intravenous therapy are often traced back to as early as 1492 when Pope Innocent VIII was severely ill and was in urgent need of a blood transfusion. Well, according to some myths, it couldn’t heal the Pope but resulted in the death of the donors. This story is highly debatable, and some medical researchers firmly believe that the concept of blood transfusion was non-existent at that period. 

However, in 1656, Robert Boyle and Christopher Wren experimented on the subject and tried injecting alcohol into a dog. After the experiment, it was found that the dog had an effect on the liquid transferred to his body. In 1831, Thomas Latta adopted IV fluids as a treatment for cholera, which is the first successful record of this therapy. Initially, the therapy begins with a saline solution and with gradual experimentation other materials like food particles, milk etc., are also used in IV fluids.

Different Types of IV Fluids

The IV fluid is categorized into different kinds depending on the problem to which IV will be given. Following are some types of IV fluid

1. Crystalloid solutions: It is considered among common types of IV fluid it consists of small dissolved molecules which help in easy flow from the bloodstream into cells & tissues.They are given for immediate replacement of fluid

2. Colloids: They contain large molecules which are difficult to pass through and stay in blood vessels. For example, hetastarch & albumin.

Risks in the Pre or Post IV Therapy

Below mentioned are some complications which occur after taking an Intravenous therapy (IV full form)

• Air embolism: It happens very rarely and is caused due to IV pushing much air into the vein which may lead to death also.
• Vein collapsed: It occurs when a needle is being inserted for a long period. In that case, you will have to find another vein to insert a needle.
• Fluid overload: The individual can feel headaches, high BP and difficulty in breathing due to the inserting of much fluid quickly into veins which is dangerous.
• Hematoma: It occurs due to the leaking of blood from vessels into tissues present nearby. It takes around weeks to heal.
• Infection: If the needle is inserted without cleaning the area it may lead to infection, which can be healed by taking antibiotics. Therefore, it’s always mandated to clean the area before inserting a needle.
• Infiltration: It is easy to cure it happens if the needle moves after inserting into the vein and results in fluid entering tissues presented around the vein.
• Phlebitis: It happens due to swelling in the vein after taking IV. Generally, patients belonging to older age groups remain at risk of phlebitis.

Different Methods of Giving IV and Their Working

Mentioned below are different types of methods of giving IV and how they work  

Peripheral Line: It is considered a common form of IV injection which is given for short-term treatment. It is useful for both time-based infusions as well as rapid injection

Time-based infusion: It delivers medicine directly into an individual’s bloodstream. It is given through two methods drip and pump infusions. Drip infusion uses gravity which helps in quick supply of infusion and during pump infusion a pump is attached which helps in quick delivery of infusion in the bloodstream and can be controlled also.

Rapid injection: It requires a needle/injection which helps in providing fluid directly into the bloodstream of an individual

Central lines: It is also known as a central venous catheter which directly accesses the central vein presented within the torso like vena cava. The Vena cava is a large vein which helps in carrying blood back to the heart. The central lines are divided into four parts

1. Percutaneous central venous catheter: It is directly inserted through the skin and reaches the internal or external jugular, femoral vein, and subclavian vein.

2. Peripherally inserted central catheter: It is a line which requires inserting a catheter from the peripheral vein situated on the outer body and goes directly towards the heart.

3. Tunneled catheter: With its help, medicines are transferred into veins in the heart. A part of the catheter is inserted in the vein while the other part is tunneled through the body..

4. Implanted Port: It is a small reservoir which is covered with the help of silicone. Professionals implant it under the skin of the chest or arm from where it can reach directly into a central vein. After that, each medicine dose is injected through the skin into the port/reservoir. 

What are the Benefits of IV Therapy?

The main advantage of taking Direct IV injection is it results in quick relief from the problem because the injection is directly inserted into veins which helps in delivering medicine faster throughout the body with the help of blood. If you want to discover other benefits of IV therapy  then check the section below:

• Restore Hydration

IV therapy has been widely used over the years by physicians to help patients make up for water loss, especially in the condition of diarrhoea. This therapy contains a formula rich in antioxidants that help in alleviating conditions of dehydration in individuals who require water supply in their system either due to any illness or excess alcohol intake.

• Enhance Nutrient Absorption

In the intravenous process of nutrient transfer, vitamins or minerals are directly transferred into the bloodstream which helps in 90% absorption of nutrients unlike, in normal digestion whereby digestive enzymes break down supplements that somehow stop the body from utilizing the value of the nutrients.

• Alleviate Chronic Pain

IV therapy works best in individuals suffering from severe pain. In case of inflammation, this method can prove helpful in transferring an important antioxidant called glutathione which offers instant relief. Irrespective of the root cause of the pain, the therapy helps alleviate any kind of pain caused due to injury, autoimmune disorder or any dysfunction.

Written By: Deepit Mathur