Why would a patient need IVT?

Answer 1

A patient would need Intravenous Therapy, if they could not take the medication by mouth, or if the medication was unavailable by mouth - such as a medication that needs to be continuously administered over several hours. Fluids, glucose, certain nutrients, and blood are other things that can be administered through IV.

A patient would need an Intravenous Transfusion if, due too blood loss or disease, their blood count was extremely low. Blood is not necessarily transfused whole, so it depends upon which parts the patient needs: red blood cells, plasma, or platelets. The transfusion of white blood cells is rare.

Blood loss includes external and internal injury, whether a severe laceration or a bleeding ulcer. Intravenous Transfusion often occurs during surgery, and sometimes occurs during treatment for cancer because of the affect chemotherapy has on the body.

Anemia is often a cause for blood transfusion.

Plasma is transfused to ensure that a person has the proper balance to clot blood properly, whether due to medication imbalance or disease, particularly in diseases where the transfusing of platelets is prohibited.