GIOSYL MAY JANCE BSN3-D August 29, 2021

NURSING UPDATE: “IV Hydration Therapy is Trendy, but What Does the Science Say?”
Author(s): UAB Medicine News

REACTION PAPER:

Based off of the article, the author is trying to show that most of the IV Hydration Therapy marketed to
the public are not proven effective by the medical professionals. These companies offer IV therapy that
claims health benefits and can treat diseases such as cancer, and heart failures but doesn’t have a solid
evidence that can prove such claims.

Many health-conscious individuals now use IV hydration treatment to receive the vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, and even medications they need in order to feel better and maintain their health status.
Some patients claim benefit from IV treatment, whether it's to get the nutrients they need, enhance
their quality of life by addressing symptoms like dehydration, or to just make them feel better.

It is alarming that most of these individuals didn’t even bother to do enough research before undergoing
IV hydration therapy, if IV hydration treatment is not prescribed by a physician for a specific medical
problem, it's probably useless at best and potentially hazardous at worst.

As a student nurse, I believe that these commercially introduced IV hydration therapy are unnecessary
to begin with. In the clinical setting, IV treatment is a common procedure that is quite standardized and
safe. Most significantly, it's done by trained experts in a medical-grade setting. While the IV drips used at
boutiques and wellness spas, on the other hand, aren't FDA-approved and aren't delivered in a hospital.

Based on what I’ve recently learned during our skills laboratory, IV procedures can accompany risks. IV
administration can cause minor side effects such as discomfort in the IV site, edema or swelling, and can
cause scarring at the IV site, but it may also lead to infection. IV fluids should only be administered to
patients with kidney disease or heart disease if their physician has prescribed it. Additionally, patients
who are on medication should be extremely cautious of the possible dangers of the drug interactions.

As my contribution, I can educate the people in my community to consider researching before engaging
in these types of therapy. I will also advise them to settle with drinking plenty of fluids and healthy diet
to maximize the nutrition they need. And most importantly I will willingly explain the potential risks and
dangers that concerns the safety of individuals using IV hydration therapy.