Excessive intravenous fluid administration is harmful—no physician is unaware of this. Why then do they knowingly engage in such practices? The answer lies in personal and institutional gain. To curb excessive IV therapy, beyond strengthening public education, physician self-regulation, and patient/family cooperation, institutional safeguards are essential:Ensuring the proper functioning of medical institutions and curbing their blind pursuit of profit through excessive expansion—chasing "bigger, better, newer, and more advanced" facilities—is the only way to potentially curb reckless IV therapy. Below are potential hazards of IV therapy to raise public awareness.
1. Pyrogenic Reactions
Administration of pyrogenic substances, inadequate sterilization of infusion bottles, or contamination can cause chills, shivering, and fever in patients. Severe cases may reach high fevers of 40–41°C (104–106°F).
2. Pulmonary Edema
Rapid infusion rates or excessive fluid volume within a short timeframe can drastically increase circulating blood volume, overburdening the heart and causing edema. Severe cases pose life-threatening risks. For patients with heart failure or cardiac history, rapid, large-volume infusion may exacerbate heart failure or trigger pulmonary edema.
3. Phlebitis
Prolonged infusion of highly concentrated, irritating solutions or extended placement of highly irritating plastic catheters within veins can cause localized chemical inflammatory reactions in the vein walls. Additionally, inadequate sterile technique during infusion may lead to localized venous infections.
4. Air embolism
This occurs when air is not fully purged during infusion or when rubber tubing connections are loose and leak. Even a small amount of air entering the vein can cause the patient to experience abnormal chest discomfort, followed by respiratory distress, severe cyanosis, and hypoxia, potentially leading to sudden death.
5. "Malignant" Drug Adverse Reactions
Intravenous administration carries a higher risk of drug adverse reactions than oral medication, particularly allergic reactions. When taken orally, allergenic impurities in drugs may be digested in the gastrointestinal tract or remain unabsorbed. However, intravenous delivery allows these impurities to enter the bloodstream directly, potentially causing anaphylactic shock or even death in severe cases.Recent media reports of sudden deaths following Chinese herbal injection use stem from this mechanism. One hospital was exposed for containing black flocculent matter in IV bottles. Medical professionals note, "While drug adverse reactions ultimately originate from the medication itself, intravenous administration exacerbates these effects, potentially causing shock or death."The alarming cases of severe adverse reactions caused by injections like "Xinpu," Houttuynia cordata extract, Acanthopanax senticosus extract, and Yin-Zhi-Huang extract remain a lingering pain.
According to statistics from the China Safe Injection Alliance, over 390,000 people die annually in China due to unsafe injections. Currently, some village clinics or hospitals resort to fraudulent practices, with the phenomenon of "prescribing IV drips for every ailment" being particularly severe.Even minor ailments like toothaches or colds warrant IV drips. Expert surveys reveal that over 95% of people remain unaware of the dangers of IV abuse and unsafe injections. The World Health Organization estimates that over 70% of IV infusions are unnecessary. This alarming overuse of IV therapy and irrational medication practices has already inflicted major disasters on humanity.
6. Granuloma Hazards
Recently, a 25-day-old infant in the UK died from enteritis. During the later stages of treatment, the child received thousands of milliliters of intravenous fluids. Pathological examination of the lungs revealed granulomas caused by insoluble particles resulting from excessive fluid administration.
Over the past few decades, the hazards of insoluble particles during infusion have gradually gained recognition. While particles larger than 50 micrometers are visible to the naked eye, it is precisely those harmful particles between 2 and 50 micrometers—invisible, mobile, and non-metabolizable—that enter the bloodstream, causing various infusion-related contamination diseases.
During an examination of intravenous solutions at a Beijing hospital, 598 particles ranging from 4 to 30 micrometers in diameter were detected in 1 milliliter of 20% mannitol solution. In 1 milliliter of 50% glucose solution with penicillin, 542 particles ranging from 2 to 16 micrometers in diameter were detected.With so many particles in one milliliter of solution, a 500-milliliter solution would contain 200,000 particles.Given that the smallest human capillaries have diameters of only 4-7 micrometers, frequent intravenous infusions allow particles larger than 4 micrometers to accumulate in the capillaries of the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, muscles, and skin. Over time, this can directly cause microvascular thrombosis, hemorrhage, elevated venous pressure, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and even cancer.Particle accumulation also causes local blood supply insufficiency, tissue ischemia, hypoxia, edema, inflammation, and allergies. When large quantities of particles entering the body via infusion are phagocytosed by macrophages, they can cause the macrophages to enlarge, forming granulomas.
When large quantities of particles entering the body via IV fluids are engulfed by macrophages, they can cause the macrophages to enlarge, forming granulomas. One scholar performed an autopsy on a body that had received 40 liters of IV fluids over a lifetime, discovering over 500 granulomas and extensive microvascular blockages in the lungs alone.