IV Infiltration and Complications

Normally, patients undergoing intravenous, or IV, therapy have fluids directed intravenously in veins through a tiny catheter needle.

The small needle is typically inserted in the arm or hand to deliver fluid medications simultaneously or separately. Intravenous, or IV therapy, can be considered a quick and convenient option for medication administration.

The therapy, however, is not absolutely safe or reliable.

Catastrophic IV infiltration and complications can result with the use of a catheter in the vein, such as intravenous infiltration, whether fluid or medication is infused intravenously into the tissue that is surrounding.

Developing complications can arise through inadequate monitoring by the healthcare staff, or when the catheter is inserted and placed in properly.

For example, a patient is at bedrest. A nurse, who is assigned to give a shot with a needle to that patient, may be distracted or in a hurry. The nurse decides to give the shot to the patient while in a conversation with another medical professional.

The nurse doesn’t pay attention, and accidentally places a needle in the wrong vein of the patient. That patient sustains complications which makes her ill. She has grounds to file a lawsuit for IV infiltration and complications.

The patients should contact an attorney with experience, expertise, and skills to receive financial compensation.

The medication, in some cases, intravenously injected through a process of extravasation can become severely toxic when the drug is erroneously delivered outside the stream of the blood, which can cause severe problems to skin and surrounding tissue.

Various severe complications of intravenous infiltration can include the following: permanent nerve damage; skin blistering or ulceration; catastrophic scarring where medicines make contact with skin; where healing requires grafting of skin, catastrophic burns are the result; the affected area needs to be amputated; and diminished or impaired use of an extremity affected.

Any patient will have an expectation that medical facilities, physicians, and nurses are offering, during every medical procedure, premium level of care.

When a subpar level of care, however, results in catastrophic injuries, the medical facility and staff can be held liable legally for any neglect.

Healthcare providers, medical physicians, and nurses must take necessary steps to safeguard the patient from injuries linked to intravenous infiltration complications.

This can include selecting the appropriate size catheter, placement of intravenous catheter needles at sites of joint, and subsequent to proper procedures prior to, during, and following insertion.


The intravenous catheter, in addition, cannot be too securely tightened, to construct the flow of blood in the patient.

The majority of victims, who have sustained a catastrophic case of IV infiltration complications, can file a claim or lawsuit for financial compensation to hold parties liable legally for their actions.

Attorneys with skills and expertise can build a solid case, to prove negligence when the patient has to sustain excruciating IV infiltration complications.

Contact us for a free consultation or call Anzalone Law Firm PLLC, at: 603.548.3797