It’s a question I hear pretty often. “What if I react to my infusion?” Whether it’s an iron infusion, a chemotherapy infusion, or one of the other infusions we give, it’s a valid question.

What happens next?

Here’s a brief overview of what your nurse will do if you react to your infusion:

1. As soon as we notice someone is reacting, or as soon as someone tells us they are not feeling well, we will stop the infusion.
2. We’ll call for help, get your vital signs, and start running fluids through your IV (normal saline).
3. We’ll give you supplemental oxygen through a nasal canula (if you need it).
4. We’ll give you appropriate emergency medications like steroids, pepcid, benadryl or zyrtec, and an epipen if you need it.
5. We’ll keep you for observation. Depending on the reaction and the medication and how the patient is feeling, we may re-challenge the medication.
6. Rarely, patients require further evaluation at the hospital (always if epipen was involved).
7. We’ll notify your provider so they can come up with a plan for you.

There are many times when simply stopping the offending medication and running normal saline is enough to help patients feel better, but not always. Rest assured that your infusion team has the means of helping you or your loved one if they have a reaction to their medication!

Next up, we’ll talk about how we know if you’re reacting!

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