IV Therapy: Preparation and Safety Guidelines

At the American Center for Biological Medicine (ACBM), we take a quality and custom approach to IV therapy. Our focus is on the quality of the IV bag preparation, which takes place in-office, and a strict adherence to safety guidelines.

We consulted with the ACBM Clinical Manager and Registered Nurse (RN) Megan Whiting about the ACBM’s IV therapy approach. Below Megan puts to rest any worries patients might have coming into the process by explaining the technical details and safety precautions taken for every patient receiving IV therapy at the ACBM.

How do you set up and prepare for IV therapy?

Megan says that at the ACBM we like to say that we “prep it in the hood”—meaning that our IV setup and preparation at the ACBM is done in a completely germ-free environment for the highest standard of patient safety. Megan continues by saying that there is a legislation that all IVs containing more than three ingredients must be prepared in a completely germ-free environment to prevent outside contamination. The ACBM always suggests asking how IV treatments are prepared when calling for IV services so that patients know that they are placing themselves in the safest facility possible. These “hoods,” also called “clean benches,” allow for the handling of materials or any critical process in an environment that is protected from outside contamination. The flow hood is continuously bathed with sterile air that is passed through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.

What sets the preparation of IV therapy apart at the ACBM?

At the ACBM, we offer high-quality, pure IV products so our patients receive the best treatments available. In our custom and quality approach, we prepare the IV treatment bag on the patient’s arrival to provide him or her with the highest quality infusion. When the IV is premade, it is able to begin the oxidation stages and degrade the potency of nutrients. Our technicians strive to have no more than a 15-minute period between the IV bag being made and its subsequent delivery to the patient.

We also set ourselves apart from other facilities that offer somewhat similar IV treatment options. Many other facilities will use vials with premixed products in the IV treatments, which decreases the purity of the overall treatment. At the ACBM, we hold a wide variety of individual unmixed products, thus increasing the purity of the IV treatments offered and decreasing the oxidation that takes place.

What safety guidelines are adhered to at the ACBM?

Megan says, “At the ACBM, we always require that patient safety measures are a priority. Not only do we take every safety precaution for our patients in our treatment preparation, we also require recent blood test results to be reviewed by a physician prior to initial treatment so that we can customize the IV for any and all situations.

Who can benefit from IV therapy?

Megan says that in the words of our clinic co-founders, Dr. Dickson Thom and Dr. Jeoffrey Drobot, “everyone can benefit from IV therapy.” With IV therapy, we are bypassing the breakdown processes in the digestive system and getting the nutrients directly into the bloodstream for a faster result, recovery, and benefit. The most common patient situations calling for IV therapy are:

• =>> Feeling fatigued or rundown
• =>> Preparation or recovery from travel
• =>> Recovery from activity
• =>> Sports or dehydration
• =>> An immune boost during flu season
• =>> Even pre- and post-chemotherapy recovery
• 
  

The benefits of IV therapy are endless for just about every situation.

What can patients expect during their appointments?

1. We have a brief intake process for patient safety and establish good communication starting with the new patient health history intake.
2. Pre-treatment vitals are taken.
3. There is a lab review and consultation with a physician and then a brief conversation with the nurse administering the IV therapy so that we ensure the highest quality patient care and treatment satisfaction.

Patients will always have a treatment review with the administering nurse prior to each IV therapy session so that any changes can be made if necessary to ensure patient comfort and success of the therapy.

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