The Versatility of Infusion Therapy

When a patient proves unresponsive to conventional pain management treatments, be they in Dyer IN or Munster IN, infusion therapy is often the best available option. Though most people tend to think of infusion therapy as being needle-driven, intravenously, it can refer to any form of non-oral medication, such as intramuscular or epidural injections. At our neurological practice in Indiana, we prescribe infusion therapy to patients who suffer from severe chronic conditions.

While infusion therapy has been utilized by medical doctors and pain specialists for years, only more recently have we seen its range of applications widen within the medical field.

Range of Applications
In these most recent years, infusion therapy has allowed doctors to administer drugs that include antibiotics, antivirals, growth hormones, pain management, infliximab, and other biologics.

Some of the conditions treated by infusion therapy have included the symptoms of cancer, (namely, the chronic pains) Crohn’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, heart failure, and gastrointestinal diseases.

History of the Therapy
It was not until the 1980s that infusion therapies could be administered directly within the home of a patient. Up until then, any patients receiving said therapy were forced to remain within inpatient for the duration of their treatment. Conscious of the costs of caring for and treating patients, hospitals and clinics soon transitioned to a more efficient and economical long-term strategy. By administering infusion therapy in the home, doctors could minimize the cost of treatments, while respecting the patient’s freedom and lifestyle. More than cost, it was advancements in medical technologies that made all of this possible.

With safer, and more effective methods of administering infusion therapies, patients have appreciated all the benefits. Undeniably, patients will always be more receptive outside of an environment they find to be unwelcoming or disruptive—like an overburdened hospital.

Technicalities of Infusions
As per any highly specialized service, the supplies and equipment used to administer drugs to patients must be strictly regulated. Any medication that is part of an infusion therapy will have been ensured to be: manufactured and compounded in a sterile environment, stored in a way that guarantees its sterility and facility, administered at exactly the correct dose for each individual patient, properly flushed and washed between doses, and closely observed after being administered.

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