How does an infusion work?

When you are sick and the doctor wants to make you feel better, you might get an infusion. This is a small bag of water that flows into your arm through a straw until you are able to eat and drink again. Below we will explain step by step exactly how an infusion is applied.

An infusion is not inserted in the room, but in the examination room. The nurse will take you there. Mum and/or dad will also stay with you.

The nurse will tap your hand a little. This is called congesting. The nurse does this to make your veins more visible. Veins are the little blue lines you see under your skin where your blood flows.

If we cannot find a vein in your hand, the nurse will try your arm. The nurse may use a tourniquet. This is a band that tightens around your arm so that your veins become more visible.

The nurse will ask you whether you are left or right-handed. We do this to decide where to insert the infusion. We'll make sure you can still colour and play with your best hand!

When the nurse has found a good vein, that place will be disinfected. Brrr, it will feel a bit cold but does not hurt.

Then the nurse will prick your vein. Ouch...this may hurt a bit. Keep your arm still and squeeze your mum’s or dad’s with your other hand.

There you go, that’s all there is to it. The needle is removed and only a thin straw remains in your arm (an infusion lock), which is taped up with a nice bear plaster.

Sometimes the doctor needs some of your blood to be tested at the lab. This way, the doctor can see which microbes are making you sick. A tube is attached to the infusion lock. The nurse will run your blood into the tube. This does not hurt.

Some physiological water is also injected to make sure your lock does not get blocked.

Finally, your arm will be nicely wrapped. To start with, the nurse attaches a splint. The splint prevents you from folding your arm to avoid damaging the straw. The nurse wraps a bandage around the splint. This way, the splint stays in place.