Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Extravasation of injectable drugs can lead to skin injuries and diminish patients’ quality of life. This study aimed to characterize cases of extravasation.
METHODS: Patients were selected from those covered by the Diagnosis Procedure Combination system who received inpatient infusion treatment intravenously between 2018 and 2023 at a university hospital in Japan. We included patients with reported extravasation of injectable drugs in the electronic medical record system. The characteristics of extraversion cases were descriptively analyzed from three perspectives: patient background, agents involved, and procedural factors.
RESULTS: In a cohort of 830 patients, 1,045 cases of extravasation were reported, which included multiple occurrences within the same patient. Focusing on patient backgrounds, the most commonly reported age group for extravasation incidents was patients in their 70s（32.34%）, followed by those in their 60s（18.12%）and 80s（17.55%）. The most commonly extravasated agents were peripheral parenteral nutrition solutions, including amino acids and water-soluble vitamins（26.51%）. Infusion pumps were used in 61.44% of the cases.
CONCLUSION: Cases of extravasation were characterized by advanced age, the use of peripheral parenteral nutrition solutions, and the application of infusion pumps. Further studies are needed to verify the causal relationships between each factor and extravasation.
