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
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.
