With local centers across the country, Ulcerative Colitis patients requiring ongoing biologic infusions or injections relax in privacy and comfort during treatment.
Redefine your care experience
Private Suites
Guaranteed for all patients, with leather recliners and chairs for guests
On Your Schedule
Local centers offer flexible scheduling, including evenings and weekends
Goodbye Waiting
Greeted by name at check-in, patient suites are always ready when you arrive
Sit Back and Relax
Cable TV, Netflix, and more so you can catch up on your favorite shows
What is Ulcerative Colitis (UC)?
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes the digestive tract to swell. Common symptoms of ulcerative colitis include pain and slight bleeding in the rectum, an urgent feeling to have a bowel movement, diarrhea, inability to have a bowel movement, cramping, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
How Is Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosed and Treated?
Most often doctors use endoscopic procedures (such as a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy) and a tissue biopsy to diagnose UC. A physician may also request additional diagnostic procedures and lab tests.
Treating Ulcerative Colitis
Initially, a physician may prescribe immunomodulatory medications, corticosteroids and 5-aminosalicylic acid to treat ulcerative colitis. However, since IV infusion therapy for UC provides long-lasting relief, doctors often prescribe biologic medications. These medications are administered via intravenous infusion or injection.
How Does IV Infusion Therapy for UC Work?
IV infusion therapy is also referred to as intravenous therapy and infusion treatment. An intravenous therapy session usually lasts from 30 minutes to an hour.
The patient’s dosage, treatment frequency, and mode of administration (infusion or injection) depend on the biologic medication he or she receives.
Many ulcerative colitis patients choose to get their infusion treatment through a freestanding treatment center, such as IVX Health. Ulcerative colitis patients often choose IVX Health as their preferred site of care because of its unique, patient-centered amenities.
Ulcerative Colitis Therapies Administered at IVX Health
The following infusion and injection therapies are administered at IVX Health.
Our Ulcerative Colitis Formulary
Ulcerative Colitis Management at IVX Health
Each IVX Health patient receives excellent care from Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) and Registered Nurses (RNs). IVX Health’s staff model follows a 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio, ensuring every patient is given the time and attention they need during therapy.
The benefits of receiving infusion treatments for ulcerative colitis at IVX Health include:
- Private suites
- Comfortable, leather recliners
- Enough room and plenty of seating for guests
- A friendly clinical staff
- Personalized service
- High-speed internet
- Complimentary beverages and snacks
- Flat-screen television sets provide a way for patients to stream their favorite movies and watch the shows they love
- Flexible scheduling options (including evening and weekend appointments)
What to Expect During IV Infusion Treatment for UC
An ulcerative colitis infusion treatment at IVX Health is comparable with the steps listed below.
Ulcerative Colitis Infusion Therapy Steps
- Upon arrival, and directly following greetings, the patient is escorted to his or her private suite.
- The nurse uses a very small, thin catheter to access a vein in one of the patient’s arms. Once inserted, this serves as the patient’s IV line.
- The nurse connects the patient’s IV to a line that leads up to the bottle or bag of medication.
- After connecting the tubes together, the infusion begins.
- Once treatment is complete, the nurse gently removes the IV.
Patients are continuously monitored throughout the duration of their infusion. If you are experiencing a negative reaction to the medication alert a nurse right away. Signs that you may be experiencing a negative reaction include inflammation or redness at the injection site, fever, chills, or an allergic reaction. It’s important to recognize the potential symptoms of an allergic reaction.
It’s particularly important to recognize the potential symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as hives, a skin rash, nausea, dizzy or faint feeling, itching, feeling as if your tongue is swelling, pale or flushed skin, a weak pulse, and if your throat feels swollen and tight, which is making it difficult to breathe (commonly known as anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is potentially life-threatening; therefore, a patient experiencing this symptom during treatment needs to contact his or her nurse promptly. Should anaphylaxis develop after the patient leaves the center, he or she needs to go to the nearest emergency room or urgent care center or call 911.
How to Get a Referral for Ulcerative Colitis Infusion
Every referral for therapy to treat ulcerative colitis must be accompanied by an order for treatment.
Patient information should include:
- Name
- Current address
- Home and mobile phone number
- Insurance information
Information the physician must include on the patient’s order for IV therapy to treat ulcerative colitis include:
- Patient’s name and DOB
- Order date
- Diagnosis
- Physician’s name and NPI#
- Office address, phone and fax numbers
- Provider’s signature
Supporting clinical documentation from the physician should include:
- The patient’s tuberculosis test result (i.e., TB skin test)
- His or her height and weight
- Clinical information to support the patient’s ulcerative colitis diagnosis
- Results of the patient’s most recent tests (e.g., lab work, MRIs)
If you have ulcerative colitis and you would like to learn more about the IV infusion therapy for UC available at IVX Health centers, contact us today.
Ulcerative Colitis Blog
May 4, 2022
After visiting with your primary care physician to discuss your ongoing digestive and bowel issues, you’ve now been referred to a gastroenterologist (GI) who specializes in treating chronic forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). You fear you may receive a diagnosis of a condition like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. The range of treatments for those with IBD can vary, from alterations in diet to the prescription of a biologic infusion therapy such as Remicade, Entyvio, Tysabri, or other medication.
April 25, 2022
Starting a new medication of any kind – especially an ongoing biologic infusion – often brings fear and anxiety with its prescription. What should you do to prepare? What should you expect? What happens afterwards? Whether you’re new to Remicade (infliximab) infusions or have been receiving Remicade (or an infliximab biosimilar such as Avsola, Inflectra, or Renflexis) infusions for years, we’ve provided tips to making infusion day at IVX Health just a bit more manageable.
February 26, 2022
Many East Tennessee patients with complex chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis make the journey to into a larger city such as Knoxville, Chattanooga or Morristown regularly to receive biologic infusions. These infusions are typically given every 4-8 weeks, which means that patients not only spend more time in the car, but they often need to find dining options for breakfast, lunch or dinner before or after their infusion.
