What effect does infusion (protein) have on the body?

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Vu Tan Phuc - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.

When there are signs of high fever, loss of appetite, body fatigue, many people immediately think of protein infusion (also known as infusion, water infusion) to restore health. However, self-infusion can lead to many unpredictable complications such as pulmonary edema, heart failure or even death due to anaphylaxis. Refer to the following information to know what infusion is, what to pay attention to when infusing protein.

Protein infusion is the infusion of beneficial substances into the body to support disease treatment or restore health. Infusion fluids are soluble solutions of many different substances that can be injected slowly or directly into the patient's vein. Most of the solvent used in the infusion is distilled water. In addition, some other solvents can be used to dissolve the drug.
Protein infusion is mainly for people who are exhausted or have some health problems.

Currently, there are more than 20 types of infusions divided into 3 basic groups:
Nutrients for the body (glucose 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% and solutions containing vitamins and proteins). , fat). This group is used as a protein infusion for people who are physically weak, those who have surgery, are malnourished, can't eat by mouth, or can't digest food,... Groups provide water and substances Electrolytes (sodium chloride 0.9% solution, lactate ringer, sodium bicarbonate 1.4%,...) are used for patients with dehydration, blood loss when having diarrhea, vomiting, burns, poisoning. A special group (fresh plasma, dextran solution, albumin-containing solution, haes-steril, gelofusine, macromolecular solution, ...) is used in cases where patients need to quickly replace albumin or circulating fluids. in the body. According to experts, each group of infusions will be suitable for different audiences. To avoid complications, the patient should be examined, tested and prescribed by a doctor before protein infusion.

The doctor needs to test blood and do many other procedures before assigning fluids to the patient
In every human's body, there are average values ​​in the blood, for proteins, sugars, salts, electrolytes,... If one of the above averages is lower than the normal allowable level, then we will compensate. To decide if a patient needs an infusion, doctors often rely on the results of the test to see which cases are necessary and which are not necessary for additional transfusions and the amount of supplementation. how many, how much.
In some special cases, even though there are no test results, doctors still have to give patients protein infusion. This occurs when the patient is dehydrated (due to excessive vomiting, diarrhea), blood loss, poisoning, severe malnutrition or the patient before and after surgery. As for mild diseases, it is best not to infusion.
If the body is dehydrated but still able to eat, the protein infusion is not as good as oral rehydration. Specifically, infusion of a bottle of 5% glucose is only equivalent to drinking nearly a teaspoon of sugar, infusion of a bottle of 9% saline solution is just like drinking a bowl of pale soup.

Arbitrary infusion can cause unpredictable complications. In particular, not all medical staff know how to deal with the risk of accidents, allergies, shock, infection, brain edema,... in patients.
Some healthy people arbitrarily infuse fluids to improve health need to be especially cautious. Complications that occur with voluntary infusion can be mild or severe. In mild cases, patients have swelling, pain at the injection site or loss of appetite because the intestinal capillary degenerates. In severe cases, the patient may have phlebitis, heart and kidney edema because the body is forced to receive a large amount of nutrients and water. In particular, there are cases of patients suffering from anaphylaxis and dying after spontaneous protein infusion.
Therefore, in principle, it is necessary to pay attention to the following issues when intending to transfer protein to the body:
Patients are not allowed to voluntarily go to medical facilities, drug counters or invite pharmacists to the infusion house. translation without having been examined and tested for related indicators. Instead, the patient only transfuses protein when the doctor's prescription clearly defines what type of fluid our body needs and the dose. Protein infusion should be carried out in medical facilities that have qualified doctors, have appropriate tools and treatment equipment when an accident occurs, and the expiration date of the infusion set and the bag must be checked. Transfusion should be done at large, reputable medical facilities.

Before infusion, it is necessary to drain the first drops of liquid out to remove all air bubbles before giving the solution into the patient's blood vessels. Absolutely comply with the regulations in protein infusion in terms of speed, time, and dosage. At the same time, the infusion equipment must be absolutely sterile and the doctor must regularly monitor the patient's condition. During the infusion, if the body shows abnormal symptoms such as shortness of breath, chills, swelling at the injection site,... the patient should immediately notify the medical staff for timely treatment and avoid dangerous complications. than. Medical facilities must have anti-shock emergency medicine so that unfortunately, when an accident occurs, the patient can be treated promptly. When the body is anorexia, thin and weak, the patient should review the diet, rest and exercise. In the event that you can still eat, instead of infusion, you should supplement your diet with nutritious foods such as fish, meat, eggs, milk, ... because this is better and safer than that. Infused. Therefore, for those who are not too weak and can still absorb food through the digestive tract, eating is the best way to nourish the body, both economically and safely.