Delivery of medication directly into the blood stream is a treatment that is used in connection with disease or injury. The medication is delivered via a thin flexible tube that is inserted with the help of a venous catheter. Administering medication via such a tube is known as intravenous therapy. The needle is extracted, and the tube is taped in place and remains there for as long as the medication is to be provided. The tube is usually inserted into the arm or hand and is used to deliver, for example, antibiotics, nutrition, pain relief or blood.
If the treatment is planned to continue for a lengthy period of time, the tube is usually inserted into a large blood vessel where it can remain during all or most of the treatment time. It could either be a central venous catheter or a venous port, which is a small medical appliance that is inserted beneath the skin with a tube connected to the blood vessel. The venous port is inserted into a blood vessel in the throat. The venous port has a plastic lid that is located just beneath the skin and can be pierced with a needle many times. The device is used to administer medication and intravenous therapy and can also be used to take blood tests without having to insert a needle into the patient on repeated occasions. The device can be seen and felt as a slight elevation of the skin. The venous port, which is sometimes also referred to as Port-a-Cath, can be used for several years without affecting the patient’s everyday life.
For the target group
If it is not possible to insert a venous catheter into an arm or hand, your care provider will have to find other viable blood vessels on your body, without excessively restricting your mobility. In these situations it is important that you discuss with your care provider about where on your body the tube will cause the least obstruction. If the tube is inserted into an arm or leg, try to avoid using the arm or leg that you use the most for other purposes.
A location on the body that could be a good alternative is the blood vessel on the side of the throat, above the collarbone.
Helpful tips
If you are to undergo long-term treatment, for example chemotherapy, the process could be made easier by inserting a venous port (Port-a-Cath). As a small device that sits beneath the skin, it causes less of an obstruction and requires less maintenance than a venous catheter i.e. a tube inserted into the skin with a needle.