Intravenous Infusions
The medical staff attend to many intravenous treatments. The General Practitioner of our practice will prescribe this if required. NB: We DO NOT do Iron Infusions for patients from other practices, your GP will need to refer you to the APAC service on 1300 732 503. This treatment is done by our experienced registered nurses within our clinic. Intravenous or ‘IV’ means giving something directly into the blood stream of the body through a vein. A needle placed into a vein is attached to a drip that contains the ingredient mixed with saline (a sterile salt water solution) or water for irrigation. This fluid is slowly ‘dripped’ (infused) into the vein and mixes with the blood in your body.
Effective from 1/4/2023, an Iron Infusion will have an out of pocket fee of $160 for those patients who have Medicare or private health insurance. A total fee charged will vary depending upon the treating of GP’s involvement with your infusion. Payment is required in full at the time of your treatment. We accept Amex, cash, Visa, MasterCard and EFTPOS.
The three common infusions conducted within our practice include:
Intravenous Antibiotics
This antibiotic treatment is the most effective way to directly receive treatments for infections in the lungs, bones and brain because they are delivered directly into the bloodstream allowing them to reach the infection site more quickly and efficiently which promotes a speedier healing time. Your General Practitioner will prescribe intravenous antibiotics if your infection is not improving.
Iron Infusion
Why is iron important? Iron is essential for the body to make haemoglobin (Hb), a pigment that makes red blood cells red. When the amount of iron in the body gets too low, the haemoglobin level falls below normal. This is known as ‘iron deficiency anaemia’.
Haemoglobin is very important as it carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If your haemoglobin or iron levels are low this may make you feel tired and not able to carry out your normal routine.
Why might I need IV iron?
The most common way to treat iron deficiency anaemia is to take iron by mouth as a tablet or liquid. This approach works well for most people and is usually tried first.
IV iron might be needed if you are:
- Unable to tolerate iron taken by mouth
- Unable to absorb iron through the gut
- Unable to absorb enough iron due to the amount of blood that the body is losing
- In need of a rapid increase in iron levels to avoid complications or a blood transfusion Risks and benefits of IV iron
- Your doctor will explain the risks, benefits and available alternatives to IV iron in your particular case. The most significant risk of IV iron is a small chance of having an allergic reaction which, in rare cases, can be life threatening. IV iron is prescribed for iron deficiency anaemia when oral iron is not tolerated, effective or likely to work quickly enough and the benefits of IV iron outweigh the risks in your particular case
Aclasta Infusion
What is Aclasta?
Aclasta is a solution for infusion (drip) into a vein that contains the active substance zoledronic acid.
What is Aclasta used for?
Aclasta is used to treat osteoporosis (a disease that makes bones fragile) in women who have been through the menopause and in men. It is used in patients who are at risk of fractures (broken bones) including those who have recently broken their hip in a minor trauma such as a fall, and in patients whose osteoporosis is linked to long-term treatment with glucocorticoids (a type of steroid)
Aclasta is also used to treat Paget’s disease of the bone in adults. This is a disease where the normal process of bone growth is changed. The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription
How is Aclasta used?
Aclasta is given as an infusion lasting at least 15 minutes. This can be repeated once a year in patients being treated for osteoporosis. Patients who have broken their hip should not receive Aclasta any earlier than two weeks after the operation to repair the fracture. For Paget’s disease, only one infusion of Aclasta is usually given, but additional infusions can be considered if the patient’s disease comes back. The effect of each infusion lasts for a year or more.