Word parts
What it means
A more dangerous form of infiltrationin-fil-TRAY-shunThe leaking of IV fluid or a drug that is not harmful to tissue out of the vein into the tissue around the IV site.Full entry . Vesicant drugs, such as many chemotherapy drugs, vasopressorvay-zoh-PRES-erA drug that narrows the blood vessels to raise the blood pressure.Full entry s like norepinephrine, concentrated electrolytes and some contrast dyes, can cause blistering, pain and tissue death if they leak outside the vein. Early signs are pain, burning, redness or blanching and swelling at the site.
For the nurse
Stop the infusion at once but leave the catheter in place at first, so the drug can be pulled back and an antidote given through it if ordered (for example phentolamine for norepinephrine). Notify the provider, raise the limb, and follow the drug's specific protocol. Check sites often when giving vesicants, preferably through a central line.
At a glance
| Spanish | extravasación |
|---|---|
| Also written | extravasated |
Easy to confuse with
infiltration
The leaking of IV fluid or a drug that is not harmful to tissue out of the vein into the tissue around the IV site.
Related terms
antineoplastic
A drug used to treat cancer by killing cancer cells or stopping them from growing and dividing.
vasopressor
A drug that narrows the blood vessels to raise the blood pressure.
infiltration
The leaking of IV fluid or a drug that is not harmful to tissue out of the vein into the tissue around the IV site.
antidote
A substance that reverses or blocks the effects of a poison or of a drug overdose.