What are the four types of infusion reactions?

Infusion is a relatively common method of treating diseases. Through investigation, it was found that the abuse of infusion is quite serious in my country. In foreign countries, infusion is equivalent to a minor operation. Therefore, infusion should be done with caution. Some clinical reactions are prone to occur during infusion, some of which are quite harmful to patients. The more common ones include fever reaction, and the more serious ones include heart failure, pulmonary edema, etc., which are particularly harmful.

Infusion reaction 1: Fever reaction

Cause: Fever is a common infusion reaction, which is often caused by the infusion of pyrogenic substances (pyrogens, dead bacteria, free bacterial proteins or impure drug ingredients), incomplete cleaning and disinfection of infusion bottles or re-contamination; deterioration of the infusion liquid due to improper disinfection and storage; sulfide adhesion to the surface of the infusion tube, etc.

Infusion reaction 2: heart failure, pulmonary edema

Cause: Due to the rapid drip rate during infusion, too much fluid is infused in a short period of time, causing a sharp increase in circulating blood volume and excessive burden on the heart. Symptoms: The patient suddenly feels chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughs up foamy bloody sputum; in severe cases, thin sputum may flow out of the mouth and nose, moist rales appear in the lungs, and the heart rate is rapid. Prevention and treatment: (1) The infusion rate should not be too fast and the amount of fluid infused should not be too much. Special attention should be paid to heart patients, the elderly and children. (2) When symptoms of pulmonary edema appear, the infusion should be stopped immediately, the doctor should be notified, and the patient should be asked to sit up with legs hanging down to reduce venous return and reduce the burden on the heart. (3) Give vasodilators, antiasthmatics, and cardiotonic drugs as prescribed by the doctor. (4) Inhale high-flow oxygen and replace the water in the humidification bottle with 20%-30% alcohol before inhalation to reduce the surface tension of the foam in the alveoli, causing the foam to rupture and dissipate, thereby improving lung gas exchange and alleviating symptoms of hypoxia. (5) When necessary, apply tourniquets to the limbs in rotation (relax the limbs in turn every 5-10 minutes to effectively reduce the amount of blood returning to the heart). After the symptoms are relieved, the tourniquet should be gradually removed.

Infusion reaction 3: phlebitis

Cause: Long-term infusion of high-concentration and highly irritating drugs, or prolonged placement of highly irritating plastic tubes in the veins, which causes a chemical inflammatory reaction in the local venous wall; local venous infection may also be caused by lax aseptic operation during the infusion process. Symptoms: Cord-like red lines appear along the veins, local tissues become red, swollen, burning, and painful, sometimes accompanied by systemic symptoms such as chills and fever.

Infusion reaction 4: air embolism

Cause: The air in the infusion tube has not been completely discharged, the catheter is not tightly connected, and there are leaks; pressurized infusion and blood transfusion are not supervised by anyone, and there is a risk of gas embolism. The air that enters the veins is first carried to the right atrium and then to the right ventricle. If the amount of air is small, it will be pressed into the pulmonary artery by the right ventricle and dispersed into the pulmonary arterioles and finally to the capillaries, causing less damage. If the amount of air is large, the air in the right ventricle will block the entrance of the artery, preventing blood from entering the lungs for gas exchange, causing severe hypoxia and leading to the patient's death.