page_title: Intravenous therapy
section_title: Medication and treatment
hierarchical_section_title: Intravenous therapy / Uses / Medication and treatment
caption_attribution_description: English: Glass IV bottle, 0.9% Sodium Chloride / 5% Glucose.
context_page_description: Intravenous therapy (IV) is therapy that delivers fluids directly into a vein. The intravenous route of administration can be used both for injections, using a syringe at higher pressures; as well as for infusions, typically using only the pressure supplied by gravity. Intravenous infusions are commonly referred to as drips.
  The intravenous route is the fastest way to deliver medications and fluid replacement throughout the body, because they are introduced directly into the circulation. Intravenous therapy may be used for fluid volume replacement, to correct electrolyte imbalances, to deliver medications, and for blood transfusions.
context_section_description: Medications may be mixed into the fluids mentioned above, commonly normal saline, or dextrose solutions. Compared with other routes of administration, such as oral medications, the intravenous route is the fastest way to deliver fluids and medications throughout the body. The bioavailability of an IV medication is by definition 100%, unlike oral administration where medication may not be fully absorbed, or may be metabolized prior to entering the bloodstream. Certain types of medications can only be given intravenously, such as when there is insufficient uptake by other routes of administration.
caption: Saline and 5% glucose solution (Left), levofloxacin 750mg (Right)
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