IV Infiltration Complications

Medical malpractice can happen to anybody, regardless of how acclaimed the medical care facility may be. At Altman & Altman LLP, we are experienced in fighting on behalf of our clients throughout Massachusetts and the Boston area. We have the knowledge and expertise to handle even the most prestigious Massachusetts medical malpractice cases.

Getting an intravenous (IV) solution is common for any patient admitted to a healthcare facility. These can range from a simple saline solution to prevent dehydration to much more complex and intensive medication treatments which are administered in liquid via a needle, through the patient’s skin and directly into their bloodstream.

An infiltration can occur if an IV is improperly placed, piercing through a vein, or if it is placed in an improper location where a patient flexes or moves regularly, which may dislodge the IV from its original location. If this happens, whatever solution is passing through the needle into the patient can begin to leech into the surrounding tissue, causing many possible adverse effects to the individual.

There are multiple readily apparent signs that you may be experiencing an infiltration of your IV, including:

• Swelling, discomfort, burning or redness at the sight of the IV
• Coldness or blanching to the skin
• A decreasing or entirely stopped flow of the medicine or solution

Depending on the type of treatment the patient is receiving, an infiltration can range from just being slightly uncomfortable to potentially much more devastating. If a solution is acidic or highly irritative, the patient may suffer from serious consequences of the solution leeching into their surrounding tissue and may suffer more serious reactions from the body recognizing something is not right.

Possible complications from IV treatments can result in serious side effects and maladies, including but not limited to:

• Diminished or limited use of an extremity
• Nerve damage, sometimes serious or even permanent in the affected limb
• Skin damage such as blisters or sores
• Scarring on the location where medication was introduced where it should not have been

In the most severe instances, an IV infiltration can cause permanent and debilitating injuries, and may even result in the need to amputate a limb if the damage is allowed to get bad enough without corrective measures.

IV Infiltration is relatively easy to notice and mitigate for a trained medical professional, such as a doctor or nurse, so there is simply no excuse for an infiltration to go unnoticed to the point where it causes severe adverse effects on a patient. The signs should not go unnoticed if the patient is checked on within a reasonable amount of time following the placement of an IV catheter.

If you or a loved one has experienced a case of infiltration during a stay in the hospital which was not corrected and led to serious harm or debilitating injury, you may have a good case to make for a medical malpractice claim to recover damages for your pain and suffering. These payments can help pay for medical bills which resulted from the malpractice event and help you recover lost funds from being unable to work during your extended hospital stay.

At Altman & Altman LLP, we have over 50 years of experience fighting on behalf of our clients who are injured in an incident of medical malpractice. While Massachusetts may be home to some of the biggest and most profitable medical facilities in the world, we will hold them responsible for their mistakes the same way we would hold anyone else responsible, by making them accountable to the standard of the law.

Call us for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617.492.3000 or toll-free at 800.481.6199. We are available 24/7.