Infusion therapy is a type of medical treatment in which medication is delivered directly into the body via a blood vessel, the spinal cord, or a muscle. This type of therapy is used when oral therapy is not an option, for a variety of reasons ranging from swallowing disorders which make it difficult for patients to swallow medications and food to the use of medications which would be destroyed in the stomach, and must therefore be delivered directly. There are a number of applications for infusion therapy.

Medications such as antibiotics, antivirals, and cancer drugs can be delivered via infusion therapy. This type of therapy is also used in pain management, with patients receiving pain relief through an infusion pump. In cases where patients need more fluids, infusion therapy can be used for hydration, as is done after surgery for many patients, and infusions can also be used to deliver nutrition to a patient who cannot or will not eat.

Historically, this type of treatment took place on an inpatient basis, with the patient staying in the hospital and being monitored during the course of the treatment. More commonly today, infusion therapy is offered as an outpatient procedure. The patient can visit a clinic or infusion therapy center for treatments, and leave when the treatment is finished. This creates more flexibility for patients in addition to cutting down on costs.

It may also be possible for people to receive this type of therapy at home. Chronic pain sufferers, for example, can wear portable infusion pumps to deliver their medications so that they can experience less pain, which will allow them to engage in more activities. Infusion therapy can also be used in the management and treatment of disease at home when moving a patient may not be advisable. A child, for example, might be traumatized by the hospital, making it more sensible to have an infusion team come to the child to deliver treatments as needed.

Infusion teams typically include a doctor who writes a prescription and develops a schedule for infusions, and infusion therapy nurses who actually perform the treatments and monitor the patients while treatment is ongoing. These nursing professionals are highly trained in infusion therapy standards, and they are skilled at everything from cleaning out ports installed for frequent infusions to keeping children calm during infusions. Specialists in home infusion therapy may be able to obtain excellent compensation for their services, as offering treatment at home carries some unique challenges.