Intravenous Therapy

Intravenous therapy, abbreviated IV therapy, is a medical process that administers fluids, medications, and nutrients directly into a person's vein, commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrients to those who cannot consume food or water by mouth, and also used to administer medications, blood products, or electrolytes. Attempts at intravenous therapy were recorded as early as the 1400s, but it did not become widespread until the 1900s after techniques for safe, effective use were developed. Because the intravenous route enters the circulatory system directly, it is the fastest way to distribute medication and fluid throughout the body; lines are classified as central lines when they end in a large vein near the heart or peripheral lines when they end in a small vein such as in the arm, and placement can cause pain, infection, or phlebitis.